Wednesday, February 7, 2001
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Wednesday, February 7, 2001 |
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Liquor now pouring in Fayetteville By MONROE
ROARK
Liquor by the drink is now available in Fayetteville. After three restaurants saw their applications approved last week by the City Council, a representative of Applebee's said Monday night that state licensing would be approved in time for that establishment to begin pouring today. Malone's hopes to join Applebee's within the next few days. "We hope [to be pouring] this week," according to a manager, who added that his establishment was waiting on the go-ahead from the state. "But you never know." Coba, a new Mexican restaurant opening at Banks Station, also was approved by the city at the same time it received a beer and wine license. Coba has not yet opened and its representatives could not be reached for comment. After all of the controversy surrounding last November's referendum that legalized distilled spirits in the city, the initial applications were approved last Thursday night with very little council discussion and no public comments. In fact, Malone's didn't bother to send a representative to the meeting, and neither did Coba. A district representative of Applebee's told council Thursday night that if state licensing procedures went smoothly, pouring could commence as soon as Monday night. City officials have not been expecting a stampede by local business owners for liquor license applications, since the City Council imposed strict guidelines governing such things as the ratio of liquor sales to food sales, and set a $5,000 license fee. A few local restaurant owners have suggested that they will not bother applying for a license because they are unsure if they can recoup their investments. In setting these guidelines, council members have repeatedly said for the record that they want liquor consumed in restaurants and not in bars, and they have gone to great lengths to see that bars are not coming to town anytime soon.
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