Tuesday, November 12, 2024–9:00 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Two alcohol ordinance amendments are headed back to the Rome Alcohol Control Commission for further review.
On Tuesday, the Rome City Commission took no action on an amendment to do away with future variances for the 50-50 food-to-drink ratio.
Currently, any establishment that sells distilled spirits must generate at least half of its revenue from the sale of food, unless a variance is granted.
Steven McDowell, owner of Old Havana on Broad Street has a variance that allows for the sale of tobacco products to count toward the ratio.
Although his business would not be impacted at this time, in the future it could be, based on how the amendment is written.
If I become incapacitated at any time my business model would have to change,” he said. If I cannot sell the business model as it currently exists, my assets are devalued. My children cannot inherit the business model as it currently exists today. Lastly, I cannot relocate my business within the city limits if the need were to arise.”
An amendment to no longer permit sales from food trucks to count toward the 50-50 ratio is also headed back to the ACC.
Rome City Commission Mark called that amendment “Ridiculous.”
“Why don’t we just increase our thoroughness in checking the records of the food trucks, if that’s the main concern?” he asked. “Otherwise, we can’t argue it’s a concern about having to have a kitchen on-site. A food truck kitchen, and it sounds like everyone is good with it as long as the person owns it, is a kitchen. A kitchen is a kitchen. So, if the only concern is who owns the food truck, thereby who owns the kitchen, who collects the money at the point of sale, and how that point of sale data is read. If that’s the concern, let’s figure out how to tackle that.”
Currently, there is only one establishment the amendment would impact, and that is The Foundry at the corner of West Third Street and Fifth Avenue, and they are currently in the process of building a permanent kitchen.
The amendment actually had a motion and second, but the motion was withdrawn in light of dissention from some of the commissioners.