Tuesday, August 22, 2023–9:49 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome Alcohol Control Commission approved two license requests Monday but most of the conversation revolved around the city’s 50-50 food-to-drink ratio and gaming machines.
The Forum in downtown Rome was approved for a new beer, wine, and liquor pouring license. The Forum has been a county facility since its construction in the early 1990s, but it will come under the City of Rome’s ownership as the result of the recent local option sales tax negotiations. There has not been an alcohol license at the Forum since the county’s contract with Safari Hospitality expired in 2020. According to the applicant, Doreen Meeks, the plan is to have a bartending service come in and serve the alcohol during certain events like concerts.
“I am going to be booking the events,” she said. “If they say they would like to have alcohol served, then we would sit down and discuss what their plan is and what they are looking to have.”
The alcohol ordinance exempts government-run auditoriums with 2,500 or more seats from the 50-50 food-to-drink requirement, which says establishments that sell distilled spirits must have 50 percent of their sales come from food.
Later in the meeting, during a hearing for Stephanie Shaw with Peaches, who is trying to get her liquor license reinstated after losing it for violating the food-to-drink ratio, ACC chair Billy Cooper commented on the fairness of the regulation.
“It seems just a smidgen hypocritical that the government can do that but a private individual cannot,” he said. “I understand that we have a regulation, and it is as it stands, but that’s something that caught my ear and is a little bit concerning.”
The ACC took no action on reinstating the liquor license at Peaches, saying that they needed more information, specifically, point of sale numbers for her food sales. However, Cooper asked if the ACC would be willing to vote on a recommendation to send to the full Rome City Commission, changing the food-to-drink ratio. No one made a motion.
Also Monday, the ACC approved a new beer, wine, and package license for a new liquor store to be located in the former Ace Hardware building next to Taco Bell on Turner McCall Boulevard. The applicant, Viral Patel, currently owns Cheers Liquor across from Big Lots on Shorter Avenue. During the hearing, Rome City Commissioner Craig McDaniel asked the applicant Viral Patel if he planned on having gaming machines in the store. Patel said he would not, because it is illegal to have gaming machines in liquor stores.
The question opened up further discussion regarding coin-operated amusements machines, which are legal in Georgia as long as there are no cash payouts. The machines are regulated by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, but local governments across the state are looking at ordinances to address the rising number of gaming machines in their communities. McDaniel told the ACC that it was his understanding that the City of Cedartown has a moratorium on new convenience stores.
“That’s the only city I know of that has done anything at all to address those machines,” McDaniel said. “It will be a legal case at some point where someone will challenge it.”
Rome City Clerk Joe Smith told McDaniel, to the best of his knowledge; the City of Rome has never placed a moratorium on any type of business in the past.
“I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, I’m not saying it can’t be done,” he said. “I’m just saying we never have.”
McDaniel said that he appreciates the money that is raised for the lottery to fund Hope Scholarships and the Pre-K program, but the gaming machines have a downside that local governments have no control of.
“I think the lottery machines probably have an impact on those who are more prone to having gambling problems,” McDaniel added. “You can go on the Georgia Lottery website and find out how much money comes out of each county, and it is an astounding amount of money that comes out of these small communities.”
The ACC expressed an interest in having a representative of the Georgia Lottery come to a meeting to discuss the rules and regulations regarding coin-operated amusement machines.
