Jimmy D’s Sports Bar & Grill, 3901 Rossville Blvd., was cited to the Thursday morning meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board for its 8th violation including sales to a minor, operating a disorderly place, gambling and employees drinking on the premises during the 26 years it has been in business. James Farlow, the owner of the bar since 1991, was again found drinking beer in the business on Sept. 19 at around 12:30 in the afternoon. It is a violation of the beer code for any employee to consume alcohol where they work.
The bar received a 10-day suspension in April of this year for the same violation.
Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins said the most recent bar check was done on Sept. 19, acting on a complaint about gambling, the condition of the building and the owner drinking. The building issues that were found are being taken care of, said Mr. Farlow. When asked what he was going to do about the on-going issue of him drinking at work, he answered, “In actuality, old habits are hard to break.” He said that he only has four or five beers “while shooting the bull with the retirees that come in. Now, they’re starting to call me water-boy,” he told the board. "I’ve read the beer code," he said, and admitted he was wrong. As for the “race boards” that are available to customers for betting on various sporting events, he said they just help his customers enjoy the sports. During this check. he said, was the first time that he was made aware that they are illegal.
Gambling was not the issue today, Assistant City Attorney Keith Reisman told the board, Mr. Farlow was cited for drinking. How are we going to know you have stopped drinking there? asked board member Andre Harriman. Anyone is welcome to come in and see, answered Mr. Farlow. A motion to suspend the license 30 days and another to suspend it for three days both failed. A third motion to suspend the beer permit for 10 days starting Oct. 12 passed unanimously.
Luis Aguilar, supervisor at Fiesta Mexicana #F14, 4021 Hixson Pike, told the beer board members that despite doing the best that they know how to prevent underage beer sales, it happened again on June 29. The managers send employees to training classes and remind them to check IDs daily. It is who you are hiring, said board member Christopher Keene. The restaurant received a letter of reprimand from the beer board for the same violation in April of this year. The TABC led another bar check in June and issued a seven-day suspension of the liquor license, which has already been served beginning on Labor Day. The beer board mirrored the penalty and gave a seven-day suspension of beer sales that will start Oct. 12.
Shahan Market, 4004 Rossville Blvd., a convenience store selling beer, cigarettes and gas, was approved for a beer license, as were three Tiger Markets. Danielle Elks told the board that 7-Eleven, Inc. is buying all 900 locations of Sunoco in the U.S. There are three properties involved in Chattanooga - 5050 Hunter Road, 3725 Jenkins Road and 3504 Hixson Pike. All three were approved for a beer license, which will be effective Oct. 17 when the transaction closes.
McKamey Animal Center will be holding the fundraiser Barktober Fest and Meolloween Party on Oct. 21 from 4-11 p.m. at 4500 N. Access Road. This is the third year for the event that will have a beer garden, food catered by Lee Towry and beer from The Terminal Brewhouse. Trick-or-Treating for kids will take place in the woods behind the building. Both children and their pets can come in costume and there will be treats for both. From 11 a.m.-7 p.m. adoptions will be available, the sole purpose of the facility, said Paula Hurn.
The Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, 1800 Polk St., is holding two events, of which both were approved for selling beer. On Oct. 7, from noon until 6 p.m. Sculpture in the Sky will be held. Cathy Clifford described this as a family friendly event with a large-scale kite competition, storytelling and food trucks. On Nov. 3 from 5:30–11 p.m. the only fundraiser of the year will take place. It will start with cocktails and music in the park; will progress to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum where dinner will be served in a train and then move back to the park for music and a light show.
Another special events beer license was given to Ryan Hargrove for Heaven & Ale Octoberfest at Cambridge Square, 9431 Bradmore Lane. It is planned for Oct. 7 from noon-10:30 p.m. with a rain date of Oct. 21.
Ben Bowers was given a special events beer permit for Volkswagen Octoberfest that will take place in the parking lot of the VW dealership at 6001 International Drive. Beer will be served out of a 1969 VW bus and there will be vintage VWs on display. This event will be Oct. 13 from 4-10 p.m.
CPD Lieutenant Austin Garrett told the beer board of a new approach for the application process of special events permits. His vision is to have a one-step, online site to apply for a special events permit and receive approval. He said this would reduce the time it now takes a person to try to find the information they need without having to call multiple offices. Having the information in one place would streamline the process, he said, and all the needed information would be in place before the event appeared on the beer board’s agenda.
Another focus, he said will be promoting community policing relating to bar checks that find violations of the Chattanooga Beer Code. He said that data will be used to help determine where there are problems emanating from a particular bar or restaurant. He plans for patrol officers to collect the data from traffic stops and DUI arrests by asking where that person had been drinking prior to the stop. The police expect to see a pattern surrounding certain locations, and “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” said Lt. Garrett. He said this would push responsibility out to the neighborhood police, and that they know where the problems are. He said that Officer Collins will still be the nucleus of the operations, but this will give him some help in determining where bar checks occur and in conducting them.