Beer Board Hands 15-Day Suspensions To T-Roy's, Holiday Inn

  • Thursday, March 19, 2015
  • Gail Perry

Two businesses were given penalties of 15-day suspensions of their licenses to sell beer at the Thursday meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board.

 

During a compliance check for bars in the area initiated by a request from members in the surrounding neighborhood, Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins and Sergeant Jeff Gaines began with T-Roy’s at 2300 Glass St.

After that bar check Officer Collins said other bars were not checked because his car was filled with bottles confiscated from T-Roy’s.

 

During the inspection on March 6, 58 half-gallon bottles of liquor were found stored behind the bar and in a back storeroom. Some were open and others were still in boxes. Officer Collins said it appeared to be stored the way bars are stocked that have a liquor license. The problem was that T-Roy’s is not licensed by the TABC to sell liquor by the drink. The police said there were also some customers drinking at the tables who were “brown bagging.”

 

The owner, Leroy Norwood, told the board that the liquor was left over from the holidays. He said he called them “appreciation bottles” and used the liquor to thank his regular customers at special parties. The last had been on New Year’s Eve. He denied that any alcohol sales took place at the bar other than beer.

 

Despite storing liquor being a violation of the Chattanooga beer code, the bottles were kept at the bar. He said he did not have anywhere else to store them. When asked if he was aware this was prohibited, he said that he had never read the beer code. He said, “I’m just being honest.” The manager of the bar, Frank Simmons, has been employed three years and he, too, admitted to never having read the beer code. Board member Joe Ramsey asked him what he would do about it now that he knew. “It’s all gone—I don’t have to worry about it anymore,” answered Mr. Ramsey.

 

Three members of the Glass Street community were allowed to speak to the board asking for help from the city. They each expressed frustration with the responses they have received from repeated complaints and calls to the police. Despite the groups striving to improve the area, there are continual problems with shootings, break-ins, trash littering the neighborhood, “cuttings,” parking on the sidewalks, betting, loud abusive cursing, fighting and noise until the bars close at 3 a.m. the board was told. The neighbors asked for help from the city.

 

Before the vote, Assistant City Attorney Keith Reisman reminded the board that the issue under consideration was that the bar had stored liquor other than beer. A motion for a 15-day suspension of the beer license passed on a vote of 5-2. The penalty will start on March 26.

 

The Holiday Inn, 2232 Center St., also lost the privilege of selling beer for a period of 15 days. This violation was referred to the beer board from the Tennessee ABC board, which had suspended the bar’s liquor license. The violations were the result of selling beer to a minor on Feb. 11. This was the second time in five months for the same offense.

 

Vision Hospitality Group has managed the hotel since late 2014. Jeff Mochel, representative from the management company, said that being penalized twice by the beer board in that short time period “is a black eye” for his company and said, “It’s killing our reputation.” Both bartenders who served the minors had been certified and had obviously made a misjudgment, he said. Both were terminated after their mistakes.

 

Signs have been ordered notifying the requirement of dates of birth, he said, and regular meetings are being held to remind the servers of the importance of age requirements. Board member Andre Harriman suggested that the company also conduct its own compliance checks. The suspension will begin on March 26.

 

Lemont’s Catering, 801 Dodds Ave., neglected to file the necessary paperwork required for a special event on March 1. Owner of the business, Renita Johnson, told the board she made a mistake, and only realized it on the night of the party. The code regulating catering specifies that a special event be registered at least five days in advance to obtain a special permit.

 

Ms. Johnson said someone delivered a cashier’s check to her office as advance for catering a fraternity party. That person left no contact information. The balance due and confirmation of the party was not received until two days before the event on Feb. 27. Snow in the area complicated things, and at 1 a.m. the night of the party she realized that the paperwork had not been filed. The same was true for the TABC board.

 

A similar mistake had been made in September 2014 and a warning letter was sent to the business for late notification at that time. A motion passed concerning the latest violation to put a letter of reprimand from the board in the company’s file for failure to give timely notification for a special event permit. This came with the warning that it is highly unusual to get a second letter of reprimand and that the next time the company might be out of business.

 

With thanks from several board members for keeping the Chattanooga Lookouts in the city, the new owners of the team, Chattanooga Professional Baseball, LLC, were given a beer license. Rick Mozingo, representing the owners, said that they were “happy and proud to be a part of this.”   Steve Sullivan, the manager of food and beverages under the previous owners, remains in that position. He told the board that everyone that buys a beer is carded and given a wrist band. He said staff and police are continually monitoring to make sure only those with bands are drinking beer. He also said that beer sales are suspended in the middle of the seventh inning.

 

The Southside Saloon and Bistro, 1301 Chestnut St., has a new owner and was required to get a beer permit under the new name. It is a lunch only business and beer sales are a small part of the sales, said Gerald Davis, but the space is also rented out for special events on evenings and weekends. He said he would like to have the option of selling beer. A unanimous vote of approval gave a permit to Mr. Davis.

 

A new Japanese restaurant at Warehouse Row, Two Ten Jack, was also given a beer license. The name of the restaurant is the name of a Japanese card game, said Patrick Burke, owner of the business. He described the restaurant as a Japanese pub.

 

Two carry-out licenses were approved for convenience stores - Maria’s at 4831 Brainerd Road and Mystik Food & Fuel at 4266 Bonny Oaks Dr.

 

Three licenses were issued for special events happening in March and April. The Chattanooga Film Festival will take place for the second year on Aril 2-5. It will be at the Majestic Theater and under a tent in the parking lot. The event will be expanded this year, said festival organizer Victoria Love, by giving people a reason to stay longer than they would just to see a film. A beer garden will be set up under the tent. Customers must be 21 or older and there will be security present and a different color wrist band issued every day.

 

An “Opening Party” will be held at Granfalloon, 400 E. Main St., Suite 120 in the Clear building. This space will become a new event hall and coffee shop, but before becoming operational, 90 people have been sent invitations for a private party. A license was given for 8-12 p.m. on March 28.

 

The 10th annual Ride Your Steel party will be held by the Head Hunter’s Biker’s Club on April 11 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It will take place at 2110 Dodson Ave. at the Utopia Event Hall. Around 200 people are expected to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the club’s beginning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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