Riverfront Nights, which will begin its sixth year of concerts on Saturday evening, Aug. 4, was granted a beer permit by the City Beer Board on Thursday morning.
This summer music series held at the 21st Century Waterfront will open with “Papa Grows Funk”. Popularity of these concerts has grown and this year 3,000-4,000 people are expected each night. Chip Baker, executive director, and Karen Shostak from “Friends of the Festival”, the organizer of these concerts, made the application for the first three events on Aug.
4, 11 and 18.
This organization has a great deal of experience in implementing the requirements to hold a beer license, the board was told. They advised the members of the beer board that they have already held one of the four training sessions for the 20-30 people that will serve beer at the concerts. They also said that they will I.D. every customer with a driver’s license every time they are served, so there is no question the person is of legal age.
The board gave them unanimous approval for a beer license for the three concerts in August, effective from 6:30-11:30 pm. The series will be interrupted on Aug. 25 by the Southern Brewers Festival, but will resume on Sept. 1. Friends of the Festival will re-apply for a beer permit for the dates in September.
Beer board member Ron Smith admonished the applicants for a new beer licenses, of the Beer Board's priorities. The first is to not serve alcohol to minors. He told them it was their responsibility to do the math right, and that the format or special markings on drivers licenses makes the minimum age easy to see. Pamphlets from Beasley and Carter Distributing are available to them for additional advice. He also told them that holding a beer license requires the business to be a good citizen that has no problems with their neighbors concerning parking, littering, blocking entrances and exits, loitering or with sound systems.
El Sol Mexican Restaurant opened Wednesday, at 4047 Hixson Pike. Leo Bautista appeared at the beer board meeting to apply for a license to sell beer at the establishment that has a capacity of 75 people. Officer John Collins confirmed that they had passed both the fire and health inspections and Mr. Bautista told the board that he understood the beer codes, resulting in a license being granted to the new business.
The Conoco at 3131 South Broad St. has a new owner, Mapco Express. It will now be doing business as Delta Express. Because of the change of name and ownership, the convenience store was required to apply for a new license and turn in the one held by the former owners. Rhonda Armstrong who manages 12 local Delta Express stores told the board she was familiar with the responsible vendor program, and was issued a permit to sell carry-out beer at this location.
Ownership changes at two other businesses also required a new beer license to be issued. Gloria Boozer representing Cost Plus came to the meeting to procure a license for World Market at 2220 Hamilton Place Boulevard. And Mystic Food Mart at 2413 4th Avenue, now owned by Fourth Avenue Investment, Inc., and represented by manager Asif Ramzanali Parbataini, surrendered the previous license for that location and was approved for a new one.
Summey’s Towing and Recovery, a new wrecker company located at 2103 Huff Place in District 3 applied to the Wrecker Board for a license to operate two Class A, and one Class B vehicles. For the record, Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins told the owner Gordon Summey, the requirements that all vehicles must be kept behind a fence and that all drivers must be licensed. Mr. Summey said that he had been in the business for five years and acknowledged that he understood the codes and so was given a license to operate his business.
The next meeting of the Chattanooga Beer/Wrecker Board will be Aug. 2 at 9 am.