by Dana Wilbourn
posted September 4, 2008
The Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board on Thursday denied a request from Millennium, Inc., dba Millennium Dining and Entertainment, for a consumer beer license. The board’s reason was their concern with a known felon’s association with the owner.
Millennium has an alcoholic beverage license and has been open for three weeks. The business currently opens at 10 p.m. and closes at 3 a.m. The owner wants to begin opening for lunch and serve beer.
Paul E. Gott, owner of Millennium, Inc., which is at 3649 Brainerd Road, appeared before the board with his attorney, Arvin Reingold. Mr. Gott denied the board’s accusation that Phillip Patrick, a convicted felon, is involved with the operation of the establishment. Mr. Gott did admit Mr. Patrick’s wife is one of his managers and Mr. Patrick was a subcontractor used in the remodeling of the building.
Officer John Collins of the Chattanooga Police Department told the board Mr. Patrick had met with him early in the process of filing an application and represented himself as the owner although the application lists Mr. Gott as the owner.
Residents from the neighborhood addressed the board urging them not to grant the license. Tawnya Fogarty said she had received a threatening phone call after speaking out against Millennium at a Beer Board meeting in July.
Ms. Fogarty said she has the recording of the call and has filed a police report. The caller said, “Leave Millennium alone, or you’ll have troubles — last chance.” Mr. Gott denied that he had made any threatening phone calls.
Bobby Ward, representing Neighborhood Christian Child Development Center, an adjoining business to Millennium, asked the board to deny the license because of the close proximity to his business and the influences subjected upon the children. Mr. Ward’s business is advertised as a 24-hour day care and school.
Bill Butler, another resident, said he purposely drove the streets around Millennium to hear for himself what could be heard outside the establishment. He said at 1,000 feet from the building he could feel pressure waves from the deep bass sound coming from inside the building. He moved back another 500 feet and could still feel them, he said.
Attorney Reingold asked his client if he had received any complaints of noise outside the club. Mr. Gott answered, “No.” Mr. Reingold said, now that Mr. Gott has heard this complaint, he will hire an acoustics expert to place baffles or sound-deadening material inside the building.
Officer Collins said he drove by Millennium at 2:45 a.m. last Saturday night and there was a traffic nightmare surrounding the place.
The board voted to deny the license on the basis of a known felon being associated with the establishment.
Foodworks, 209 Manufacturers Road, served a beer to an underage minor on Aug. 18. Scott Adams, owner, told the board, “We made a mistake.” He said his servers are now told to card everyone buying beer or alcohol. The employee involved was not terminated, but now understands the importance of carding everyone.
The board imposed a 3-day suspension of Foodworks’ beer license beginning Sept. 11.
Terra Nostra restaurant, 105 Frazier Ave. also was caught selling beer to an underage minor on Aug. 18. Efran Ormaza, owner, told the board, “We were busy that night.” He has reinforced with all his servers, he said, the importance of checking ID before serving alcohol.
The board imposed a 3-day suspension of Terra Nostra’s license beginning Sept. 11.
Amrat Patel, owner of the Mobile Convenience Store, 5907 Lee Highway, appeared before the board for selling beer to an underage minor. Mr. Patel said the employee involved is not a regular employee, but a fill-in employee. He admitted that it was a mistake “on our part.”
The board imposed a 3-day suspension of the license beginning Sept. 11.
Jet Stream Grill, 417 Frazier Ave., was also caught in the Aug. 18 sting operation. John Kaiser, general manager, told the board, “Obviously we did make a mistake that day.” He said the employee involved has been terminated because “this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
The board imposed a 3-day suspension of the license beginning Sept. 11.
Red Lantern Restaurant was the last violator appearing before the board for selling beer to a minor. A second violation of the beer ordinance was added that night when the police asked to speak to the owner and he came forward and was obviously drunk and spoke harshly to the officers, it was stated. Owners and employees are prohibited from drinking on the premises.
Wayne Rominger, owner, did not appear before the board as he was on vacation in Mexico. Evelyn Rominger, Mr. Rominger’s mother, appeared with the server involved.
Teresa Colson, the server, said she does not remember the girl who bought the beer and the officers would not show the underage girl to her that night. The underage girl was present before the board and Ms. Colson said she still does not recognize her.
Ms. Rominger said her son was at the restaurant for a birthday party of a friend. He had been drinking at another establishment when he got a call from his friend to come to the restaurant for the party. When officers asked for the owner, he came forward. In his drunkenness, he was disrespectful to the officers, she said.
Ms. Rominger said she came forward and asked her son to move away so she could talk with the officers. She says she cooperated fully with the police. Officer Collins agreed.
Mr. Rominger is usually never there on the weekends, Ms. Rominger said. She manages the restaurant on weekends.
The board decided since there were two violations, they would deal with each one separately. The first violation involved the sale of beer to a minor. The board imposed a 3-day suspension of the license beginning Sept. 11.
The second violation was the intoxication of an employee or representative while on the premises. The board imposed another 3-day suspension of the license beginning Sept. 14.
Officer Collins told the board that although these five businesses had been caught selling beer to a minor, nine other businesses had properly carded and refused to sell to the underage operatives.
Other applicants approved for consumer or carryout licenses were:
Publix Tennessee, LLC
5928 Hixson Pike
Chattanooga Billiard Club, Inc. (change of name on license from owner to corporation)
725 Cherry St.
110 Jordan Dr.
On the Run #110 and #112 (change of ownership)
Hixson Pike at Lupton Dr.
Jenkins Road
Two special events licenses were approved.
Jennifer Diane McGlohon
Kidney Foundation of the Greater Chattanooga Area
Dare to Dance
The Mill
1601 Gulf St.
Sept. 6, 7 p.m. to midnight
David Clapp
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library
ClubLib
1001 Broad St.
Oct. 18, 6:30 p.m. to midnight
A wrecker application was passed to the next meeting because of confusion over the name of the company. Darlene Burr, owner of All About Towing at 2719 Dodds Ave., was seeking a license for District 2. Board member Ed Fricks said he has seen that name all over a fenced lot on Airport Road. He wondered what the connection was.
Ms. Burr said she has no knowledge of anyone using the name All About Towing on Airport Road. Ms Burr’s daughter said, “We are All About Towing & Recovery.” The board said the application lists the business as All About Towing and does not mention recovery.
Board Chairman Kathy Jones said the police would check into the business on Airport Road and report back at the next meeting.
The board reiterated support of the new wrecker ordinance that the City Council has approved on first reading. The ordinance requires a recovery class wrecker be used when the incident commander requests one and the recovery be completed within 90 minutes. Ms. Jones said that City Council members urge all board members to be present next Tuesday at the City Council meeting when the proposed ordinance will be discussed.
Dana Wilbourn
dbwilbourn@yahoo.com
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