J.T. McDaniel surrendered his beer license for Faye’s Quick Stop four years after he said the store closed. He said he had subleased the property to Corey Craddock, who is charged with several drug and weapon-related offenses after those were found at Faye’s in May.
“I saw several people in the store, but didn’t see any beer. The coolers had not been in operation for a while,” said Chattanooga Police Department officer John Collins.
Mr. McDaniel did not argue with anything the officer said, and told the board that he had closed Faye’s years ago, but had recently allowed Mr. Craddock to rent the property.
“Mr. Craddock told me he was not in the drug business,” Mr. McDaniel said. “He asked me if he can rent my spot, and I said yes. He did get a license for the business. One day, that area is going to be different, so that’s why I kept the beer license. I hoped I could get a good manager, since it is a food desert and we do take food stamps.”
Mr. McDaniel told the board that he drives past the property every day, and one board member said he should have been more attentive of what was happening there. The owner clarified by saying that he often drives by, but does not go into the property.
While Mr. McDaniel offered to surrender his beer board license, which he had kept in hopes that he could find another manager, the board could not technically accept his surrender until they found him guilty of operating a disorderly place. The board unanimously decided to accept this charge and his surrender.