Liquor by the Drink up for Vote in City of Smithville

A City of Smithville liquor by the drink referendum will be on the election ballot Tuesday, November 4
Registered city voters will decide the question.
The Consumption on the Premises Referendum asks city voters to either vote “for legal sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in Smithville” or “against legal sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in Smithville.”
Should the referendum be approved, eligible restaurants in the city of Smithville could apply to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission for an on premises license to sell liquor by the drink, but it would still be up to the Smithville Beer Board whether or not to grant a permit for those same businesses to sell beer (If they don’t already have a permit), according to Keith Bell, Director of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
“If Smithville passes liquor by the drink, if a restaurant is properly permitted to sell liquor by the drink, then they would be “authorized”, and I emphasize the word “authorized”. They would be authorized by the Tennessee Code to also sell beer, but they would have to be permitted through the appropriate jurisdiction, which in this case would be the Smithville Beer Board. Let me repeat this so it’s completely understood. If Smithville voters pass the referendum to allow liquor by the drink in their restaurants and then a restaurant applies for a license to sell liquor by the drink with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, essentially if they’re licensed or permitted to sell liquor or wine for on premises consumption, pursuant to Chapter 4 of Title 57, they’re also allowed to sell beer at the establishment if they are properly authorized to sell liquor or wine, provided that the establishment lawfully obtains a beer permit from the Smithville Beer Board,” said Bell.
The city aldermen in December, 2012 changed the city’s beer ordinance to allow eligible restaurants to apply for an on-premises permit to sell beer with meals in their establishments
If restaurants in the city were licensed to sell liquor by the drink, they would have to abide by the designated serving hours, but could sell on Sunday, according to Bell. “No licensee shall permit alcoholic or malt beverages to be consumed on the licensed premises between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Monday through Saturday or between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, unless the local jurisdiction has opted out of the expanded hours. If such is the case, then the consumption and or sale of alcoholic beverages may begin at 12:00 noon on Sunday,” said Bell.