The Augusta Commission again showed leniency in its enforcement of a blue law Tuesday, granting The Original Tavern a probationary Sunday alcohol sales license despite food sales being below the state minimum.
Under Georgia law, a business must have at least 50 percent of its sales from food to be considered a restaurant and serve alcohol seven days a week, but the city has allowed latitude since setting a precedent with the Limelite Cafe in January.
License and Inspection Director Rob Sherman told commissioners The Original Tavern, formerly Wheeler Tavern, is undoubtedly a bar. Under its previous ownership it lost its Sunday license for having only 9 percent food sales, and its new owner reported a figure of 16 percent.
Shawn Laws, who bought the business and reopened it in November, told the commission he's working to raise food revenues, which were about 28 percent in February.
He said he has spent $20,000 fixing up the kitchen and hired staff with experience at Bonefish Grill and the Pinnacle Club. He said he has worked in management at Buffalo's, Ruby Tuesday and Hooters restaurants.
"My passion is food," Mr. Laws said. "It's gonna' take me a little time to get to 50-50, but I just want the same opportunity."
The commission voted 7-2-1 to grant the license, with Commissioners Alvin Mason and Jimmy Smith opposed and J.R. Hatney abstaining.
Mr. Laws faces an audit in six months and will lose his Sunday privileges if half his sales aren't from food.
In January, Limelite Cafe on Agerton Lane asked that its license be returned on a probationary basis after an audit found only 23 percent food sales. The committee split 2-2 on the request, but before the issue went to the full commission seven commissioners signed a letter authorizing a license in time for Super Bowl Sunday.
The commission has since given the chance to Finish Line Cafe on Wrightsboro Road, which had only 35 percent food sales.
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.
OTHER ACTIONS TUESDAY
- The commission voted to pay Cranston Engineering Group $624,470 to certify the Savannah River levee so the Federal Emergency Management Agency will factor it into flood maps, saving property owners in the vicinity from paying flood insurance. City Administrator Fred Russell said the fee will come out of unused special-purpose sales tax funds.
- The commission voted to advance the Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative $291,600, which it can draw from the city in installments with a 2 percent administrative fee. CADI began working in early 2008, and with taxes through downtown's Business Improvement District not due until November, there has been a gap in work and pay ever since.
- The commission met in closed session for 39 minutes. City Attorney Chiquita Johnson said commissioners needed to discuss three issues of potential litigation, administrative proceedings and real estate.
ALSO DISCUSSED
- Commissioner Jerry Brigham said he thought his resolution asking the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame to exhibit its statues of famous golfers during Masters Week was on the consent agenda and did not realize until the meeting was over it had been left off. He said the omission resulted from miscommunication with the city attorney and that it would be put on the agenda for the next commission meeting.
- Commissioner Joe Bowles, part of the First Saturday Foundation that has been working to clean up the Augusta Canal, showed photos of the canal and said it needs to be thoroughly cleaned by the city while it's drained.
- Commissioners will go to Athens, Ga., this weekend for a two-day planning retreat held by the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The projected cost is $5,000. Mayor Deke Copenhaver said this will be the commissioners' first out-of-town retreat since he took office, and they need a change of scenery to work on consolidation charter issues.
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