"[The court] will review the record to see that the ABCC didn't make a capricious decision," Scali said.

"I know we didn't, so my feeling is [the suspension] will be upheld," he said.

If the suspension stands, the Grille might still eliminate the blot from its record through participation in the Substance Abuse Task Force.

Initially formed in 1994, the task force lapsed for two years and was revived by several local businesses last January. Consisting of about 20 licensees, the task force targeted underage drinking as a key problem for Cambridge licensees.

In a report to the Cambridge Licensing Commission released in August, the Task Force identified several avenues of progress in its fight against underage drinking.

The group designed a merit system which would reduce violations by licensees in the past five years based on service and membership on the task force. They also requested the Cambridge Licensing Commission ticket underage drinkers and revoke their licenses and offered to work closely with the District Attorney to prosecute underage drinkers more stringently.

"It's not only a protection of the businesses involved, it's a protection of the community," said Cheryl Alavi, Food and Beverage director at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Alavi, a founding member of the task force, said the fact that the Grille belongs to the task force is demonstrative of its intentions.

"It's a good thing because it shows [the Grille] is interested in solving the problem," she said.

Rafferty agreed that Grille owners are committed to ending underage drinking in Cambridge and said they will continue to crack down on students who use counterfeit forms of identification.

"There's no profit incentive for the licensee to get a suspension," Rafferty said.

"They can't make up for it by getting more customers because it goes on their record. The fact is it's just not worth the risk.