Businesses in the City of Smithville wishing to sell wine in grocery stores or to serve liquor by the drink in restaurants will soon be able to file an application for a license with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
“Once we get the certified election results from the election commission then we can begin processing applications,” said Zack Blair, Assistant Director of the TABC.
City voters approved a referendum on Tuesday, November 8 authorizing the legal sale of wine at retail food stores in the City of Smithville. The vote was 691 to 515. In a separate referendum that day, city voters also approved the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in the City of Smithville (Liquor By The Drink). It passed 665 to 597.
Dennis Stanley, Administrator of Elections, said the certified results of both referendums is being sent to the TABC this week.
“An establishment for either liquor by the drink or a retail food store seeking to sell wine will apply for a license with the TABC and we will then go through and make sure that they meet the requirements through the documents they have to submit to us,” said Blair in an interview with WJLE.
“For a restaurant, they have to submit an application, a manager questionnaire, declaration of citizenship form, a copy of any lease agreement, certificate of occupancy, bond, business plan, and various other documents liquor by the drink establishments have to submit in order for us to be able to match those documents up with the requirements,” Blair continued.
For more information on licensing requirements for liquor by the drink restaurants click link below:
http://www.tn.gov/abc/article/liquor-by-the-drink-restaurant
“For retail food stores, they will submit an application to us. We’ll have to ensure that they meet the requirements of the law, including the 1,200 square feet provision, that they maintain 20% of food or food related product sales, and that they submit other documents such as certificate of compliance from the city, etc,” he said.
For more information on licensing requirements for wine in retail food stores click link below:
http://www.tn.gov/abc/topic/retail-food-store-wine-license
“A liquor by the drink establishment does not need a certificate of compliance. They don’t have to go before the city except for getting their typical building inspection or certificate of occupancy.The retail food store would have to obtain a certificate of compliance from the city in order for us to issue the license,” Blair added.
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