Sunday, Apr. 30, 2023–8:04 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome Alcohol Commission will hold a called meeting Monday to continue a license hearing for Peaches at 325 Broad Street.
The ACC took no action during its April meeting, opting instead to give the licensee more time to come up with the documentation showing that the business is in compliance with the City of Rome’s 50-50 food-to-drink ratio.
“She expressed to us the difficulties she had getting her business back on track since her previous suspension and we wanted to give her due diligence,” said ACC chair Monica Sheppard following the April meeting. “We decided that were willing to have a special meeting in order to give her a couple of weeks to pull that stuff together.”
According to Rome City Clerk Joe Smith, the license holder at Peaches was asked to appear before the ACC because there were concerns that the business was not meeting the 50-50 food-to-drink ratio following an examination of receipts for the time period that began in January and ended in October of 2022.
“We are a long way from meeting that ratio,” Smith said.
Unless a variance is granted, establishments in the City of Rome that sell distilled spirits by the drink must also be a restaurant, selling at least as much food as liquor. The ratio does not apply to beer and wine.
Stephanie Shaw, who is the licensee, told the ACC that the business was in the process of recovering from a 30-day suspension of its license and that she did not send Smith all of the receipts.
“I had absolutely no staff, no points of sale system, my credit card merchants have quit on me, and the bank account close,” she said. “That’s what happens when you get a 30-day suspension. My security costs three or four times more. I was overwhelmed. Joe, you don’t have all my receipts.”
The license suspension was handed out by the Rome City Commission in August, following a large fight that took place at the bar on Jul. 30 where multiple Rome Police officers had to respond due to the size and severity of the incident. Smith said a notice regarding concerns over the food-to-drink ratio was sent in November.
If the business is found in violation of the 50-50 ratio, penalties could range from a suspension of the license to the license actually being revoked. The Rome City Commission will have the final say after the ACC issues a recommendation.
Monday’s ACC meeting begins at 5 p.m. at Rome City Hall.
Other agenda items include a new beer package license request at Discount Grocery at 1301 Shorter Avenue and an alcohol sales permit appeal.
