Three restaurants in Chattanooga were caught selling beer to a minor during compliance checks that were conducted by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and referred to the local Beer Board. The second violation that is discovered at any business selling wine or liquor is automatically also sent to the beer board. If that hearing results in a penalty, it must mirror whatever the TABC imposed.
On April 21, Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant, 1463 Market St., was found serving beer to a minor. The server checked the customer’s ID but sold the beer anyway. Co-owner Cherita Adams told the board that the business “was hit in January and again in April because of carelessness of the staff.” One of the employees is no longer there and the other one had their shift cut from two to one. Ms. Adams said that during the 10-day suspension of selling liquor and wine, the owners also voluntarily stopped selling beer. She said that was so the servers would see the seriousness of their mistakes. Beer Board member Andre Harriman made the motion that passed, to consider the 10-day self-imposed suspension of beer sales as time already served. A letter of reprimand will also be put in the restaurant’s file.
On May 24, Formosa Restaurant, 5424 Highway 153, was also cited by the TABC for selling beer to a minor. Again, the ID was looked at but beer was served despite the customer being underage. The manager, Michael Hendrix, said that in 34 years of business, it is the second time this has happened. The first was in 2014. Mr. Hendrix said that his policy is to not serve alcohol to anyone with red on their ID. If it is outdated, they should get a new card, he said. Mr. Harriman said this is the second time the mistake has been caught but that it might have happened many times before, without being detected. The server who sold the beer is still employed because the owner feels like everyone makes mistakes, said the manager. During the eight-day suspension given by the TABC, beer sales were also suspended. Again, because of the voluntary suspension, the violation was considered settled and a letter of reprimand was put into their file.
At Ichiban Japanese Steak House, 5425 Highway 153, the TABC gave a penalty of stopping alcohol sales for 10 days after a minor was served on Feb. 12. During a busy time of day, a server asked for the owner of the restaurant, Jae Lee, to double check an ID, and it was the owner who made the sale. During those 10 days, the business continued to sell beer so on Thursday, the beer board issued a 10 day suspension of the beer permit to begin Aug. 11.
Two newly-remodeled Food City grocery stores are in the process of installing growler stations, where 64 ounce growlers can be filled and sold to take out of the stores. The stores at 3801 Tennessee Ave. and 5604 Hixson Pike applied for a change of category for their existing beer licenses in order to serve three ounce tastings of the beer that is on tap for the growlers.
Assistant City Attorney Keith Reisman said that in the past businesses have not been allowed to have both a carryout wine and carryout beer permit. The situation with wine sales now being allowed in grocery stores is new, and he said that what the TABC will do now is unknown. If a license is changed to permit in-store tastings and that results in jeopardizing the ability to sell wine, he said that the “consumer” license for beer tastings can be turned in.
The store on Tennessee Avenue was given the additional permit for consumer sales. The store on Hixson Pike was asked to first have a survey done to make sure that there is 500 feet from the grocery store’s front door to the front door to the church that is across a shared parking lot. The store will return to the beer board at the meeting on Aug. 18.
Regal Cinemas at Hamilton Place 8 Theaters is undergoing extensive renovations and would like to sell beer when the work is finished. Contractors have given a completion date of the day after the next beer board meeting, which would not allow time to have health, electrical and building inspections done before the meeting in order to receive a certificate of occupancy. Attorney Reisman told the counsel for Regal that the board would not be able to issue a beer permit without the required certifications. The application was tabled until the next meeting on Aug. 18 with the business hoping to have construction completed earlier than projected so that inspections can be made before.
This coming Saturday a special event will be held at Coolidge Park for the first time called Food-O-Rama. It will be based on an event that has been held in Atlanta where food trucks come together to sell a variety of food. Beer sales to go along with the food will be sold from a tent that will be run by the experienced planner, “Premier Events” run by Robert Frazer, based in Atlanta. That business has a great deal of experience in organizing major outdoor events. Hours will be from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Another special event, Southern Bend Festival will take place at Coolidge Park on Aug. 27 from noon until 11 p.m. The organizers, Kari Pollard and Heather Dendy, described the event as a yoga festival that will include food trucks, live music, vendors and artists. This will be a fundraiser to benefit the Children’s Organ Transplant organization. Tickets will be $45 until two weeks prior to the event and $60 after that. Chattanooga Presents has been hired to manage the beer sales by issuing wrist bands and selling tickets that can be used to buy beer.