After almost two hours of discussion, the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board suspended Thursday the license of Southside Social for five days beginning Jan. 2.
The vote was 6-1 to suspend, with Chris Keene casting the dissenting vote, saying it was too punitive as it could potentially cost the business $50,000 in revenue based on owner John Wise’s earlier assertion that the business does about $5,000 in alcohol sales per hour.
Motions to suspend for seven and three days failed to get the required five votes from the nine-member board.
The suspension was for over- serving multiple customers on Oct. 5. Officer John Collins with Chattanooga Police Department told the board that around 1 a.m. that evening he and other officers observed that most of a capacity crowd of people at the entertainment venue and bar had gathered outside on the patio.
He stopped one man and later one woman who both appeared to be inebriated. The man volunteered to take a Breathalyzer and blew a .27, which is well over the legal limit of .o8 for driving.