The Catoosa County, Georgia, cities of Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe are ramping up to begin package store alcohol sales within city limits.
In an April 11 lottery, Ringgold city officials chose two businesses to receive city liquor sales licenses after voters approved a referendum last year to allow alcohol sales. Meanwhile, residents of Fort Oglethorpe have a week to file an application to open a package store in the city after voters OK'd liquor sales last year.
Ringgold officials have declined to release the names of the lottery winners, announced during a public meeting during which the names were hard to make out.
Using video of the meeting, the Times Free Press was able to confirm one of the winners as Chetnaba Patel.
Her son, Nirmal Patel, said in a phone interview last week that winning the package store license lottery made him feel lucky and blessed. His family owns several businesses, including a gas station near the Volkswagen plant and another Citgo gas station in Ringgold. It also owns two motels in East Ridge, he said.
The family recently looked at a possible location for the liquor store in Ringgold and is starting the process of drawing a blueprint for the store. Nirmal Patel said the family is working with the city to see how much time it has to build and open. Giving back to the community is important to the family, as well, he said.
"In Ringgold, our first goal was to do as much as we can for the city and county and for the people," Patel said. "We are trying to get sponsorships in school where we can donate as much as we can. And whatever we can do to make stuff better for the people, for the betterment of the city, we are always willing to do it."
In a phone interview last week, Fort Oglethorpe City Clerk Carol Murray said no applications had been filed yet, but there had been lots of calls.
"We're just waiting on applications to come in," she said. "We do have it [package store information] on our website The application's on there, and questions that have been asked so that people can see them all at one time."
The Fort Oglethorpe city website also includes the new ordinance regarding liquor sales and maps where package stores will be allowed. The deadline to apply is Monday, and the application fee is $100.
The site says applicants must designate a resident of Fort Oglethorpe as their agent, but the agent doesn't have to be a part of the applicant's organization; package stores may only sell liquor, mixers and quality cigars; the Fort Oglethorpe City Council will serve as an alcohol board; and the store must be located in a new, freestanding building in a city-designated district. Unlike in Ringgold, the applicant doesn't have to be a resident of Georgia.
"We'll have three areas where package stores can locate, and we're allowing one store in each area," Murray said.
Last fall, 65% of Fort Oglethorpe voters approved the referendum that allowed for licenses "for the package sale of distilled spirits."
(READ MORE: Catoosa residents reject redevelopment proposal, approve liquor measures)
The 36-page Fort Oglethorpe ordinance regulating package stores requires a newly-built, free-standing building no smaller that 5,000 square feet. The package store license is $5,000 per year, and sales can only be made between 9 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The store must also maintain an inventory of at least $750,000 and can't be located within 100 yards of a government-owned alcohol treatment center, or 200 yards from a school, church building, housing authority property or college campus.
Also in an election last fall, Ringgold passed its own ordinance to allow package sales, with 58% of voters getting behind the measure. Mark Vaughn, Ringgold city manager, said in a phone interview last week that the city had received 88 applications to open a package store; only Georgia residents qualified for the package store lottery. Vaughn said he hadn't compared Fort Oglethorpe and Ringgold's package store legislation, but one of the key differences is that Ringgold is only offering two package stores.
"Ours [process to allow package stores] is nearly complete. They have to go through the same process once they receive the license, the same process as any alcohol license would," Vaughn said. "It's pretty cut and dry now. It was a little bit hectic when everyone wanted to come in, especially the last day of applications."
READ MORE: Sunday alcohol sales start in some Georgia cities
Lamplight Package Store on Brainerd Road is one of several liquor stores in Tennessee within a mile or two of the Georgia border, just north of Catoosa County.
Morning shift manager Michael Wilson said he's been working at Lamplight for about 10 years. He said it's a fun place to work because of the people. And for people in Catoosa County who are concerned about liquor stores attracting trouble, he said he hasn't had any problem while he's been working - "besides someone bumping into someone in the parking lot."
Wilson said his store gets some customers from Georgia but not a lot. He's not worried about losing business when package stores open in Georgia because he said Lamplight has a large customer base that is very loyal.
"If I'm out of their liquor, they'll buy something else rather than go somewhere else," he said.
Taxes will be higher in Georgia liquor stores compared to Tennessee, a point Wilson said anyone considering getting into the business in both Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe should consider.
Trenton, in Dade County, is also going through the process of licensing package stores after county voters agreed in November to allow them. The issue is being discussed among Trenton city and city planning officials now, and a public hearing is set for 6 p.m. May 2 to discuss passing an amendment to allow package stores in Trenton, according to a release from the city.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @tweetatwilkins.