The Clarkesville City Council has paved the way for a wine and cigar lounge to open downtown. Other establishments like it could follow.
In a special called meeting Thursday afternoon, the council approved an amendment to the city’s alcohol ordinance.
The Bar and Tavern Ordinance amendment authorizes retail businesses, specifically in Clarkesville’s Downtown Entertainment District, to derive 60% or more of their total annual gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages. It removes the requirement for a percentage of sales to be derived from meals and food.
Restaurants, regardless of their location in Clarkesville, must still derive at least 50% percent of their gross annual sales from food and meals.
The new ordinance allows bars and taverns to sell wine and beer that can be consumed within the entertainment district. Liquor must be consumed on site. If owners want to sell pacakge beer and wine they must get a separate license for that.
Two residents who attended Thursday night’s meeting told Now Habersham they think this change will bring some unique establishments into the city, and possibly fill some of the vacant buildings on the square. Both residents asked to remain unnamed.
Cigar lounge coming to town
Savannah Davis wants to use this new ordinance to open a wine and cigar lounge on the downtown square. She has been advocating for this amendment for over a month so that she can move forward with her business. The new establishment will be called the Rich and Savvy Cigar Lounge and will be located at 1442 Washington Street in Clarkesville.
After the amendment passed, Davis told Now Habersham, “I’m excited, and I have a positive outlook on what it will do to the Entertainment District as far as bringing people into the town.”
Clarkesville City Councilmember Brad Coppedge agrees.
“It’s unique in a sense that I believe this is going to be the only wine and cigar bar in the entire area,” he told Now Habersham. “We’ve got a lot of people who have come from other parts of the country – other parts of Georgia – and wine and cigar bars are pretty much around a lot of the bigger cities. I believe this is an opportunity to have something unique and different for the downtown area.”
