If Midtown Music Hall wants to sell beer during the Riverbend Festival, owners will have to talk with the courts.
On Thursday, the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board suspended the hall’s beer permit for 10 days, effective June 10. The suspension runs through the entire Riverbend Festival.
“It doesn’t appear that they’re getting the message,” said board member Kathy Jones. “Maybe if it hits their bottom line they’ll get the message.”
Chattanooga police officers cited the hall on April 29 when three customers carried drinks out of the establishment, a violation of the city’s beer ordinance.
Hall manager Hannah Logan spoke to the board on behalf of permit holder Peter Waddington, who was out of town.
“I can say without a doubt that how (the customers) slipped by is not an everyday occurrence,” she told the board.
This was the establishment’s fourth violation in five years.
“We have people go 13 years without a violation,” Ms. Hall commented during the meeting.
Previous violations include a 2005 charge of selling beer to a minor, a separate charge in 2008 and another in 2009.
Beer permit holders can appeal the board’s decision to Chancery Court, which would push the suspension until after the appeal has been heard.
Ms. Logan said additional security measures have been put in place since the incident.
“What if these people had killed somebody and one of your drinks was in their car?” Mr. Keene asked.
Ms. Logan apologized for the incident and said that it would not happen again.
According to beer board records, Mr. Waddington is a partner in the Music Midtown LLC, which also holds permits or interests in North Shore Grill, Mike’s Hole in the Wall, CIBO, Coltrane’s on 9th and the recently acquired Mudpie Restaurant.
John McClellan, partner in the corporation, came before the board requesting a change of ownership for the beer permit to Mudpie.
During discussion, one board member voiced his concern.
“I’m not sure I would want to issue another license under that name,” said Ron Smith, vice chairman of the board.
Mr. McClellan vouched for Mr. Waddington on the license, noting the different types of establishments, with Midtown being more of a club and Mudpie a restaurant.
The board voted unanimously to approve the license change for Mudpie.
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