At the April 7 meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board, the beer license for Cloud Nine Hookah Lounge, 1101 Hixson Pike, was revoked. In hindsight, on Thursday morning, the board said that the revocation probably should have been imposed only until when a representative showed up to answer the charges. At the time, however, they felt that the owner showed blatant disregard and disrespect by not attending the meeting.
Marilyn Rampersad, owner of the business, did come to the beer board meeting this week in an attempt to persuade the board to reverse their previous decision.
On March 11, during a compliance check, officials found 23 out of 45 customers were minors enveloped in smoke so heavy that the police could not see if they were drinking. Also found were wine, liquor and moonshine behind the bar that has no liquor license. And there was no working phone which is a requirement.
Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins said that he had followed the standard procedure and talked to the manager at the scene, left a dated citation that was signed by the manager as well as later dropping off a signed copy of it. During the incident he was handed a phone and spoke to someone claiming to be the owner, but Ms. Rampersad said it was not her. Ms. Rampersad told the board that she had not been notified, and claimed she believed that she only needed to respond to the TABC charges.
Board member James Hobbs and an assistant city attorney expressed the thought that if the penalty is changed, then the board is issuing a precedent that people who have received violations and revocations can come back and ask to have the penalties reversed.
Because she was given the benefit of the doubt concerning confusion about the TABC and internal miscommunication among her employees and the owner, the board altered the penalty for Cloud Nine. In a vote of five to two the suspension of a beer permit was extended for two more weeks, totaling 28 days from the first hearing. On May 5, beer sales will be allowed to resume. On her way out, Ms. Rampersad, defiantly told board members Dan Mayfield and Andre Harriman, the two who voted to oppose the motion, that she hoped that they would patronize her alterations business because that is how she is now paying rent for the hookah bar.
The Tivoli Theatre Foundation, a non-profit that is now managing the Tivoli Theatre and Memorial Auditorium for the city of Chattanooga, obtained a license to sell consumer beer at both facilities. The license for the Tivoli Foundation replaces the previous license for the caterer Family Concessions that serviced these facilities before the change. Jordan Robert Hallquist, representing the foundation, said the consumer permit would be used during special events.
Brittany Alcala, owner of Ceniza, 9454 Bradmore Ln. in the Cambridge Square development in Ooltewah, received a beer license for the 5,700 square foot restaurant that has a cigar lounge upstairs.
The city is getting ready to begin the 29th season of Nightfall. This first round of Friday night concerts held at Miller Plaza will take place on May 6, 13, 20 and 27, from 6-10:30 p.m. Carla Pritchard, representing Chattanooga Presents, was given the license on behalf of the city.
A fundraiser for the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, Inc. will take place May 12, from 5:30-10 p.m. at the Tennessee River Place, 3104 Scenic Waters Lane. Another Gorgeous Evening will be held outside under tents with a view of the 17,000 acres of land that it helps to protect. The $100 per person tickets will provide a catered dinner and live music. Most people register in advance said Sarah Leann Quattrochi, but admittance can be arranged the day of the event.
Friends of the Festival will be organizing the American Dream Concert held at Engel Stadium on May 6 from 5:30-10 p.m. This event is organized by a program at UTC known as the Veterans Entrepreneur Program. It is focused on teaching graduates that are veterans, how to run their own businesses. Two bands will perform that night.
The Redfish Rally at Chuy’s Restaurant, 6-8 p.m. Thursday night, was a way to introduce customers to the new restaurant a couple of months before construction is complete on the new building, scheduled for the end of June. It was held outside under a tent in the parking lot and was by invitation only. The business will be a made-from-scratch Tex-Mex restaurant that will be largely geared to families.