At the fourth meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board where El Embargo was on the agenda, Galdino Chavez, its 18-year-old owner, was approved for a beer license. At the previous meetings there was confusion and uncertainty about an under-age owner and the legality of his running a business that sells alcoholic beverages.
At the June 4 board meeting, the application was for Fugencio Chavez and his son Galdino to jointly own and run the restaurant/bar as a partnership.
Both had worked there for five years when it was named Embargo and they recognized that the business, with what was described as a family atmosphere, had a big fan base. The application was tabled at that time because of a citizenship issue with the elder Chavez.
The next time the application came before the beer board, the sole owner was Galdino Chavez who is underage when it comes to alcohol. At that time Assistant City Attorney Melinda Foster said she found nothing in the city code that restricts issuing a beer license to an 18-year-old even though they cannot buy, sell or possess it. The problem then became how that would affect buying beer for the restaurant and paying for it. The next meeting, a 30-year-old manager who would be given that responsibility, accompanied Mr. Chavez.
During the Thursday meeting, board member Christopher Keene spoke to both the president of the Malt Beverage Association, and a lawyer from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission for opinions. They agreed that a business can buy beer to sell if the 18-year-old owner is not drinking it.
“This actually will be a family business,” said Mr. Keene and “due to circumstances beyond his control, it has to be done this way. I feel that his dad will be looking over his shoulder.” The board issued a beer permit to Galdino Chavez for El Embargo, with the understanding that he will be solely responsible if something goes wrong since it is in his name.