Two restaurants had to face the City Beer Board on Thursday morning due to referrals from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. On May 26, the TABC conducted a compliance check in which Plaza Del Sol, 8119 E. Brainerd Road, was found serving beer to a 20-year-old. The server never asked to see an ID for the proof of age. The penalty from the TABC for the violation was the loss of the license to sell alcohol for 10 days.
Since the first violation, owner Andrew Ayala said the servers have been instructed to ID everyone no matter how old they appear, and servers must have TABC credentials.
The owner also has spent time retraining them in how to sell alcohol in order to prevent underage sales, or over-serving a customer. Board member Andre Harriman said that training obviously was not severe enough since it happened a second time and he strongly suggested that formal training be given for the employees. The business received a 10-day suspension of their beer license beginning Nov. 24.
The Holiday Inn, 2232 Center St., has been found guilty of selling alcohol to underage buyers three times in the last two years by the TABC. The last time the hotel was caught was June 16 when an undercover minor was sold alcohol after the server checked the ID but made the sale anyway. This third violation ended with a 30-day suspension of the ABC license. Since that time, the restaurant has all new employees and managers who inherited the problem and the restaurant was given a 30-day suspension that mirrors the one given by the TABC. The restaurant and bar will be unable to sell beer during that time, beginning on Nov. 24.
Tres Amigos on Market, 200 Market St., previously had two locations, one in Ooltewah and the other in Ringgold, Ga. The restaurant in Ooltewah failed TABC compliance checks three times after which the owner, Janet Hamill, surrendered her beer permit, closed that restaurant and moved to the new downtown location. The beer board denied a new beer permit for her at the Nov. 3 meeting, which it rarely does, requesting that she get professional training in alcohol sales for all employees and reapply for the permit bringing the managers to the meeting to face the board. On Thursday, she complied and was represented by attorney Wilson von Kessler, who told the board of the new policies that have been put in place by Ms. Hamill.
“It’s hard for me to sit here and give you a license because you’ve had three violations and you appear to take it so casually. Maybe it’s just a personality thing,” said Chairman of the Board Christopher Keene. Calandra Smith with the Hamilton County Coalition, who offers professional training, spoke on behalf of the owner, saying Ms. Hamill took the matter seriously during the training sessions that she and her employees attended. The license was approved with only one vote against, and the understanding that prior offenses at past locations can be considered if there are future violations. Take the message, and I hope you never come back, said Mr. Keene.
Milk and Honey, 135 N. Market St., was approved for both a consumer and catering beer license. This restaurant is owned by Michael Monen who also owns and has beer permits at Taco Mamicita, Urban Stack, Community Pie and Clydes. Milk and Honey started by serving breakfast, lunch and snacks and has expanded to serving dinner by request from the customers. This restaurant is used to test new items sold at the other restaurants. The restaurant will now be able to sell beer to accompany the food.
The Casual Pint, 5550 Highway 153, which is a franchise, received a consumer license for selling craft beer in house from 22 taps and carry-out license for growlers and six-packs. Food will be served from a limited menu, said owners Judy and Daniel Kearnaghan. The restaurant has a capacity of 84.
Thomas Sexton, owner of T.84 Lounge, has been working on getting a beer license for his new restaurant at 1306 S. Willow St. for the last six months. The location lost its grandfathered status for selling beer during the time when it was closed, requiring the property to be rezoned by the Chattanooga City Council. That was approved earlier this week, but the rezoning does not take effect for two weeks. The application was accepted and the owner was approved at the beer board meeting Thursday, but the business cannot sell beer until Nov. 29, after the two-week period. Mr. Sexton previously owned Chocolate City and told the board that he knows and understands the beer code from having operated the other, larger business.
Urban Grind Café, a new restaurant at 2193 Park Dr. at Shallowford Road and Lee Highway, was approved for a beer license on Thursday. It will serve dishes such as fish tacos, sliders, chicken and fish. Assistant City Attorney Reisman noted that the owner, Tommy Lebron Woods, will have a lot of knowledge about the city ordinances since he is retired from the Chattanooga Police Department as a captain after working there 28 years.
Congo Food has been owned by Rene Hernandez for the past 12 years and has recently relocated the business to a larger space and wanted to add beer to his menu. He was approved for a license at the new location, 26 E. Main St. Suite # 102.
Two gas/convenience stores were also given carry-out beer permits. The Stop N Save, 2121 E. 23rd St., which has a change of ownership, and Fast Stop #2, 3440 Wilcox Blvd., where Kankus was previously located. Problems surrounded that business which had a lot of problems with the neighbors and with littering. This will be the second Stop N Save that Salameh Jaser owns and he said his goal was to run it like his first location where there have been no problems. He is attempting to reopen on Dec. 5 but will not open until he is satisfied with the condition of the building which he has already cleaned up and is renovating. And he said that he has already met with the neighborhood association.
Erik Zilen, owner of Neiglov’s Breadworks, 215 E. Main St., received a special events permit for his business during the Main X 24 event that will take place on Dec.3. Neidlov’s, a wholesale and retail bakery, has been in business for 12 years. Prior years during Main X 24, only lard-fried doughnuts have been sold. This year they will also sell hot pretzels and beer. Sales will be from a tent in the parking lot.
Attorney Reisman told the board that in the future, he will be checking applicants to see if they may owe the city any money, such as business or sales taxes, or fines. If any money is owed to the city, the board will be allowed to take that into consideration when deciding whether the owner is fit to receive a beer license.