Austin’s Sports Bar & Grill, 2407 Glass St., received a beer license on March 3, 2016. Two months later the business came close to losing it. At the meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board Thursday morning owner Robert Lee Austin was cited for allowing gambling at the establishment as well as for selling alcohol without having an ABC license.
Officer John Collins of the Chattanooga Police Department told the board that a search warrant had been generated by complaints.
Also, an undercover customer was able to gamble and to buy liquor by the bottle. During the search, tip boards and records of pay-offs were found to substantiate the gambling charges. Officer Collins also found over 70 bottles of liquor and pre-mixed drinks. Some bottles were found behind the bar, some in the kitchen and some were stored in a car in the parking lot. They were going back and forth to the car to sell the liquor, he said. Other officers that night issued citations to customers for possession of marijuana and for firearms.
Mr. Austin told the board that he understood the beer code requirements. He said it just never occurred to him to get a liquor license in order to sell alcohol legally. He claimed that it was not sold, but that it was there because “sometimes we just have a little get-together.” He admitted and took the blame for allowing the gambling at the business.
Jeffrey Evans, a community leader, and Everlena Holmes, who works to improve multiple neighborhoods in East Chattanooga, came to the beer board meeting to ask the board to enforce the law to help them “uplift the neighborhoods.”
Gwen Blocker, who works in the kitchen at Austin’s, spoke, said, “We did do wrong,” and said that the owner did not know how to get a liquor license. “We followed the wrong trail,” she said, and asked the board to give them the chance to do it right.
Board member Andre Harriman made a motion to revoke the license because of the flagrant violations, but it failed on a vote of five to two. Christopher Keene said the business should be reprimanded, but the license should not be taken away. His motion to suspend the beer license for 30 days passed and will begin May 26.
T
his is the 35th anniversary of the Riverbend festival in Chattanooga. Executive Director Chip Baker, on behalf of Friends of the Festival, was given a beer license for the 2016 event from June 10-18, from 2 p.m.–1 a.m. daily. Some new features this year, said Mr. Baker, are a new picnic area, local food trucks under the Market Street Bridge and a chance to win a recreational vehicle when wrist bands are scanned. The last night gates will open at 3 instead of 5 p.m. and a wrestling show will take place at 4 and 7 p.m. that day.
Chattabrewga, a specialty and rare beer tasting event, will take place at the First Tennessee Pavilion on June 4 from noon until 5 p.m. Sponsors are Haven and Ale and the Terminal Brew Pub. A local band will play for the first and last 45 minutes that day. It will be restricted to ages 21 and up. Ticket sales will be limited to 1,000.
An extension of the Chattanooga Market will be held on Friday nights from 5-8 p.m. at Cambridge Square, 9431 Bradmore Lane, in the parking lot in front of the buildings. Beer will be sold in plastic cups, said Ryan Hargrove, who was given the beer permit. IDs will be checked at the gate and only those 21 and up will be allowed.