The main concern of the Chattanooga Beer Board is to keep people safe. The holder of a beer license is given a permit that has the potential of doing a lot of damage, said Vice Chairman of the Beer Board Christopher Keene. It is the responsibility of the recipient of that license to protect the people of Chattanooga against those that are a threat to themselves and others from drunk driving. In his admonition to applicants at the Thursday morning meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board, he told business owners that their employees need to be well trained and be tough enough to refuse service to an impaired or underage customer. He said if they are unable to do that, they should be replaced.
Two beer permits were issued Thursday, one a consumer license and the other, carry-out. Teresa Johnson and Ashley Krey have owned Sluggos’s North Vegetarian Café for many years at 501 Cherokee Blvd. The restaurant is moving next door to 505 Cherokee Blvd., into a remodeled space in a newer building. Because of the change of address, the permit holders were required to get a new beer license.
Ms. Johnson said that over the years the restaurant has been building a regular clientele. All dishes on the menu are vegan, qualifying it to be the only 100 percent vegetarian restaurant in Chattanooga, she said. A limited selection of craft beers as well as major brand “crowd pleaser” canned beers, are sold. The board voted unanimously, to give the restaurant the license to sell beer.
The owner of Shiva Food Mart, 303 Browns Ferry Road was also granted a carry-out beer permit for the gas station / convenience store. Darshit K. Shah has recently bought the business, and he and his father are the only employees. He told the board that they would ask to see an ID before each sale of beer, and that there is also a scanner to confirm age from a drivers license. The board approved the application for this license, knowing that Mr. Shah has a vested interest in making the business succeed.
The next meeting of the Chattanooga Beer / Wrecker Board is scheduled for Feb. 18, at 9 a.m.