Liquor License

A group of local doctors who will open a convention center in Danville plan to apply for a liquor license even though the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control believes it isn't eligible for it. The license would allow the center, B.B.R.S., to sell liquor-by-the-drink just to patrons of the center, and it does not restrict them to 70 percent food sales, as is required by restaurant licenses. However, Steve Humphress, ABC staff attorney, said he doesn't think a convention center license could be issued in Danville because the community voted for limited alcohol sales.

JUNCTION CITY - Mike Hargis believes a 1942 vote for packaged liquor sales here still stands. He has applied to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for a license, and he is remodeling a store on Hustonville Road in anticipation of its approval. By a margin of 83-2, Junction City voters favored packaged liquor sales that year, but the significance of that outcome and how it was affected by subsequent local option elections is in dispute. Hargis says the 1942 election was a city-wide vote, citing a document filed at the courthouse that sets out the rules for liquor sales in Junction City and Danville.

Steve and Mimi Becker's carpenter was at their Main Street catering hall Friday to install lock-and-key cabinets. The owners of Toy Box Catering are preparing for their liquor license. This week local caterers will be able to apply for liquor licenses that would allow them to serve alcohol at private parties. The Beckers are set to be the first applicants. The law was changed during the last state legislative session. After Danville's by-the-drink vote last year, local caterers discovered that they couldn't apply for licenses to serve at functions in their own communities, but caterers from out of town, who already had licenses, could come into Danville and serve.

HARRODSBURG - It's now called Ann's Family Restaurant, but by mid-January, owner Phyllis Hurst plans to reopen the popular College Street eatery as Rookies Bar and Grill. Why the change? It's simple: liquor by the drink. The city's voters said yes on the fourth effort to make the sale of alcohol legal here. While the approval by the voters is the vital step toward serving alcohol in qualifying restaurants, it is just the first step and the only person to begin the process in earnest is Hurst.

LANCASTER - Lancaster City Council on Monday approved a controversial rezoning of a few acres on the south end of town where a liquor store possibly could be built. The Terry brothers, a Richmond group that owns a liquor store in that town, recently made a deal with Lancaster land owner Bob Noe to purchase 52 acres, contingent on being awarded a liquor license. Recently, the group requested five of those 52 acres be rezoned from agricultural to commercial. A public forum was held to gauge reaction, and Lancaster Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval.

Beef O'Brady's, a restaurant that bills itself as a family sports pub, will open today at 240 Skywatch Drive. The business is but the third chain restaurant offering alcoholic beverages to locate in Danville since voters approved liquor sales about two years ago. Supporters of the measure touted new restaurants as a major plus. Beef O'Brady's will broadcast sports on 24 27-inch TVs and four projector big screens. The restaurant has been approved for a liquor license.

When the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control hears two Danville appeal cases - one for a farm winery and one for the convention center - it will tread on new territory. There are no other cases, to the knowledge of ABC attorney Steve Humphress, where a community with limited restaurant sales has had either a convention center with a liquor license or a farm winery with either a malt beverage or restaurant wine license. The hearings for Old Crow Inn winery and Danville Convention Center are set for Jan. 8 in Frankfort and are open to the public.

LANCASTER - When its new bar opens tonight,M ariachi's Mexican Restaurant will be the first restaurant in the city to legally sell alcohol since Lancaster approved alcohol sales Aug. 19. When the fax came in Monday night from the Alcohol Beverage Control office in Frankfort, Mariachi's became the first business in Lancaster with a full liquor license. Two businesses preceded Mariachi's in getting alcohol licenses. Quick Stop Market received its malt liquor license Nov. 24 and Jerry's Convenience Mart followed with a beer license Dec. 1. Daniel Garcia of Williamsburg, owner of Mariachi's and two other Mexican restaurants in central Kentucky, both of which are not permitted to sell alcohol, said he was "excited and surprised" when he got the news Monday after applying for the license in early November.

Spring has brought a second winery in Danville. The Wilderness Road Farm and Winery received its small winery license after a denial and then an appeal this winter. The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control wrote in its final order that the initial denial was written because the winery would qualify for a retail malt beverage license, and under the law would have been able to sell cases of beer. The winery at Old Crow Inn sells beer by the case, but a law passed in the recent legislative session restricted sale of beer by wineries in dry areas to consumption on the premises.

HARRODSBURG - Harrodsburg City Commission voted Monday to look into annexing the 19th Hole restaurant at Bright Leaf Resort. The mayor received a letter from Bright Leaf's owner Betty Lewis asking the city to take the step which could allow the restaurant to sell alcohol by the drink in the future. City Manager Ed Music said officials want to gather more information before deciding whether to proceed with annexation. "We need to meet with them again to get some clarity on exactly what is housed at the building where the restaurant is," Music said.

Liquor licenses were issued Tuesday in Junction City, clearing the way for two package stores to open for business. City Clerk Susan Music said Junction City Police Chief Merl Baldwin, who is the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control officer, received an email about noon from Danny Reed, distilled spirits administrator for the state ABC, confirming the decision. Licenses were granted to Antles, 4165 Hustonville Road, and Ray's Liquor Mart, 267 Margus Drive. Music said both establishments can open for business as soon as their facilities are ready.

The final two package liquor licenses have been awarded and this time there was no danger of the stores ending up along the same corridor as the other four recipients of the quota licenses. Earlier this week, Alcoholic Beverage Control officials sent out letters of intent to issue licenses to Chills Quick Stop, owned by Chris Hill of Danville and to be located at 1714 Perryville Rd., and Raj Spirits, owned by Umesh Patel of Cincinnati and planned for 1000 E. Lexington Ave. Local ABC administrator Tom Bustle took over the job in January from Bridgette Milby, who was in place during last year’s transition from wet to dry. Although he was not involved with the administrative side during the last round of applications, Bustle said it was a similar process.

Danville officially has been wet since May 4, but it wasn’t until Monday that applicants found out who will be awarded the six coveted package liquor licenses. Local ABC administrator Bridgette Milby said letters of intent to issue a license have gone out to six of the 18 ownership groups that applied. Milby said V The Market on Fourth Street, owned and operated by Mary Robin Spoonamore of Danville, likely will be the first to start selling because the necessary inspections and employee training already have been completed.

HARRODSBURG - Harrodsburg City Commission voted Monday to look into annexing the 19th Hole restaurant at Bright Leaf Resort. The mayor received a letter from Bright Leaf's owner Betty Lewis asking the city to take the step which could allow the restaurant to sell alcohol by the drink in the future. City Manager Ed Music said officials want to gather more information before deciding whether to proceed with annexation. "We need to meet with them again to get some clarity on exactly what is housed at the building where the restaurant is," Music said.

LANCASTER - Liquor Mart, the first package liquor store in The Advocate's five-county readership area, had a successful first weekend with a steady flow of customers Friday and Saturday. "Everybody was really happy with our selection, and everybody was happy we were here and open," said Jack Taylor, co-owner of the business with his wife, Jill, and brother, Paul. The store, located in Pleasant Retreat Plaza where the old Dairy Queen was, is the third Liquor Mart owned by the Taylor brothers, who also have two stores in Richmond.

LANCASTER - When its new bar opens tonight,M ariachi's Mexican Restaurant will be the first restaurant in the city to legally sell alcohol since Lancaster approved alcohol sales Aug. 19. When the fax came in Monday night from the Alcohol Beverage Control office in Frankfort, Mariachi's became the first business in Lancaster with a full liquor license. Two businesses preceded Mariachi's in getting alcohol licenses. Quick Stop Market received its malt liquor license Nov. 24 and Jerry's Convenience Mart followed with a beer license Dec. 1. Daniel Garcia of Williamsburg, owner of Mariachi's and two other Mexican restaurants in central Kentucky, both of which are not permitted to sell alcohol, said he was "excited and surprised" when he got the news Monday after applying for the license in early November.

LANCASTER - Lancaster City Council on Monday approved a controversial rezoning of a few acres on the south end of town where a liquor store possibly could be built. The Terry brothers, a Richmond group that owns a liquor store in that town, recently made a deal with Lancaster land owner Bob Noe to purchase 52 acres, contingent on being awarded a liquor license. Recently, the group requested five of those 52 acres be rezoned from agricultural to commercial. A public forum was held to gauge reaction, and Lancaster Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval.

LANCASTER - Lancaster City Council held second reading and gave final approval Monday to an ordinance legalizing the sale of alcohol in the city limits. The ordinance, which takes effect after it is published in the Lancaster newspaper, follows a referendum in August in which voters approved alcohol sales. Under state law, Lancaster could issue up to seven licenses but decided last month to limit the number to three. Mayor Don Rinthen said a summary of the ordinance will be published Thursday in The Central Record, and a statement from Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control regarding the application process will follow a week later.

LANCASTER - Following the Aug. 19 vote to legalize alcohol sales in Lancaster, city officials have decided to allow three licenses for packaged liquor stores. This cap, however, does not take into account stores wishing to sell beer only. Stores of that type are without limit as long as they fall within the guidelines of the Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control. The three licenses set by the city pertain to stores selling packaged liquor only. Potential examples that fall within this realm are drug stores such as CVS or novelty stores such as Liquor Barn.

Following last month's vote to legalize the sale of alcohol within city limits, Lancaster has elected to allow three liquor licenses for packaged stores. This, however, does not take into account stores selling beer only, as there is no limit to those stores as long as they fall within other ABC guidelines. The three liquor licenses pertain to packaged liquor sales. Examples that may fall within this realm are drug stores such as Rite Aid or novelty stores such as Liquor Barn. Under state law, Lancaster was eligible for seven licenses of the type, based on Garrard County's population of roughly 18,000 citizens, but Mayor Don Rinthen advised given the small size of the community, seven licenses seemed excessive.