Philly college students will have to find another favorite hangout in Center City. After dealing with a flood of underage patrons armed with convincing fake IDs, iconic dive bar Dirty Franks has instituted a 25-and-older age limit.
Jody Sweitzer, co-owner of Dirty Franks, at 13th and Pine streets, said she does not want to restrict any legal patrons from coming in — but has had to do so to protect the bar.
“We just need to have the adults in the room again,” Sweitzer said. “It was for preservation of the bar and our liquor license and my sanity.”
Beloved for its no-frills vibe and authentic feel, the cash-only spot has been a neighborhood staple since 1933 — attracting longtime regulars, creatives and students looking for a warm atmosphere that won’t break the bank. The bar’s exterior mural of famous Franks, including Zappa, Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, is a 13th Street standout.
Sweitzer said that, for quite some time, teens have been trying to get into Franks with fake IDs.
“They’re bringing their own alcohol, you know, small bottles, big bottles, stuff we don’t sell — constantly vaping, even though it’s against the law and it’s against our house rules,” Sweitzer said.
Those who are already breaking the rules, she noted, don’t mind breaking a few more.
“They just had no respect whatsoever. It was literally a slap in the face. I was just losing sleep. My staff was really unhappy.”
Philly’s fake ID problem
Fake IDs can be incredibly convincing. Kids can buy fakes that fool the handheld scanners common at bars.
“We’ve met with the state police over the years on this issue, and it’s a situation that seems to be growing,” said Chuck Moran, executive director at the Pennsylvania Tavern Association. “These aren’t your father’s fake IDs. They are scannable, and bars have to take that extra step to not only protect their community, but protect their license from accidentally serving a minor.”
One particularly egregious example, Sweitzer said, involved a very real-looking ID that had one major problem. The photo was a portrait of Benjamin Franklin. Someone was trying to get into the bar, masquerading as Philly’s favorite Founding Father — and one of the famous Franks on the mural outside. The signature read “DMV Fakes,” and the address was the location of the Liberty Bell.
“It scans. All the holograms are in the right spot on the card. It’s an absolute smack in the face,” Sweitzer said. “This is how legitimate a fake ID can be. It’s insane. It’s the straw that broke my friggin’ back.”
Shawn M. Kelly, press secretary of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said that even if an ID is scannable, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s legitimate.
“When we train licensees like bar owners, managers, servers and sellers through our Responsible Alcohol Management Program, we encourage them to not only scan IDs but also physically inspect them,” Kelly said via email.
“That includes comparing the information on the ID against the information populated on the scanner,” he added, “comparing the ID against the person presenting it (maybe also asking the individual to answer questions about their identity that is reflected on the ID to see if there are any inconsistencies), and feeling for any abnormalities. Licensees are also always encouraged to retain proof of carding.”
When it comes to stopping underage patrons from entering, the onus largely falls on bars and business owners.
“We’re going to get fined,” Sweitzer said. “We’re going to get shut down for two weeks. The bartender is going to get fined. That’s points on my liquor license. It’s not worth it.”
Moran echoed this sentiment. “For a small business like Dirty Franks, if they lose their license, they don’t have a business,” he said. “So they have to do what they have to protect not only their license, but also their community. Once they get a citation, that stays on your license forever.”
Moran explained that accidentally letting underage drinkers into a bar — even if the bar has done a thorough examination of IDs — can lead to a very messy and expensive legal situation. He agreed that establishments should not rely solely on scanners.
“As soon as technology is created, it’s outdated,” he said. “These manufacturers of fake IDs have gotten really good, and they stay ahead of the curve … The state needs to take a serious look at people using the fake IDs, and they need to protect the licensees — especially when they do their due diligence.”
‘Franks was no longer Franks’
Sweitzer, herself, used to be a bartender at Franks. With co-owner Brad Piercehe, she took over the place in 2011.
“I promised Jay McConnell, the previous owner, that I would diligently keep Franks, Franks,” she said. “And Franks was no longer Franks. It was starting to become on the weekends — starting actually Thursday night — like a frat party.”
Bars like Dirty Franks are within their rights to impose age restrictions like the 25-and-older rule, even though it means losing customers aged 21 to 24.
“Under Pennsylvania law, age discrimination protections apply to individuals who are 40 years of age or older,” said Amanda Brothman Jumper, director of communications at the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, in an email. “Because the restriction at issue applies to individuals under age 25, it does not fall within the scope of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act’s age-discrimination protections.”
Sweitzer made it clear that she does not want to ban younger people of legal drinking age, but she feels as if she does not have another option.
“Once there’s a system that I can purchase that actually detects these fake IDs, I will purchase it, and then I will gladly go back to 21 in a heartbeat,” she said. “Because it’s not that I don’t want the 21-to-24s to come in. It’s just that the IDs were 21 to 23 — and this ‘Benjamin Franklin’ was 24, and it scanned.”
Moran said he could understand why customers might be frustrated with a bar for the restriction, but he said that frustration would be misdirected.
“I think the people who are upset should really be upset with the people who are using fake IDs,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate,” he added. “It really is unfortunate for a small population to ruin it for a larger population.”
While the new age restriction may mean a less-packed bar, Sweitzer said that the change has already been beneficial. Less demand means more bar seats for regulars. Franks, she said, is starting to feel like Franks again.
“My regulars are coming back now,” Sweitzer said. “I’ve been getting texts, one after another, saying, ‘Thank you. I can’t wait to come back.’ ”
And Franks is starting to sound like Franks again, too, she said.
“We’re listening to Etta James and Dinah Washington,” she added. “That’s our happy hour jazz type of music. Everybody’s talking to one another. Nobody’s on their phone. Everybody’s catching up.”
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