Several local restaurants are facing violations with Virginia's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Is it a coincidence or are ABC agents increasing their enforcement in the Valley?

Restaurants in the Valley have been receiving violation notices for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from disorderly behavior by customers to keeping track of the ratio of alcohol to food sales.

The recent violation notice for The Pub in Harrisonburg covers a series of incidents between January and November 2006.

Bill Royer bought the restaurant in August 2006. Since then he's been working to reduce rowdy behavior.

"There's no more incidents here than there are other places of the same type of business," says Royer.

The ABC says lengthy investigation and hearing processes have led to a few cases coming up at the same time.

"There's no special crackdown on Harrisonburg establishments," says ABC spokesperson Philip Bogenberger. "Basically, ABC agents are committed to the laws in Virginia, which are designed for public safety."

Royer says The Pub is popular with young people.

"We've had as many as 500 in here at a time," explains Royer.

Harrisonburg police say they'll routinely go by The Pub, usually as a preventive measure against people causing problems.

"We had a couple disorderlies, we had urinating in public, drug charges in the parking lot," says Harrisonburg Police Lt. Kurt Boshart. "Different things like that. So, those are serious concerns that we have."

The Pub is negotiating with the ABC about stopping liquor sales an hour earlier each night for five months.

"ABC has a job they have to do. There's no question," says Royer. "There are rules and regulations that you have to abide by when you own this kind of business."

Royer and the ABC are still in talks about when the restaurant will start trimming its hours for alcohol sales. However, Royer says, in spite of that, he's actually planning on staying open later just to serve food. The Pub will stay open till 4:00 a.m. for food service starting next weekend.