Chattanooga Beer Board Meeting – January 8, 2026
Chattanooga Beer Board Meeting – January 8, 2026
The Chattanooga Beer Board convened on January 8, 2026, at 13:55 UTC. The meeting covered routine approvals, board discussion on state nuisance law and local brown bag ordinances, and a contested violation hearing for Cabanas Nightclub & Event Center regarding operating without a beer permit. The board voted to impose a $1,000 fine, overriding the hearing officer's recommended $500 penalty.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The board approved the minutes from the December 18, 2025 meeting (motion carried unanimously). It was noted that the minutes were not available for the absent member, but the approval was still valid.
- Beer Application – Uptown Reload: Nathan Bedford LLC, doing business as Uptown Reload (1335 Glass Street, Consumer District), received approval for a change of name and ownership. No police objections were raised.
- Temporary Beer Permits: None.
- New Beer Applications: None.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made at the meeting.
Discussion Items
- State Nuisance Law (TCA 29-3-201): Board member Zach brought up a state law allowing 10 or more citizens to bring a public nuisance action in Chancery or Circuit Court. He suggested the board could inform communities of this avenue. The city attorney clarified that the board cannot offer legal advice and that the law applies to citizens, not the board itself. The board decided not to pursue further action.
- Brown Bagging Enforcement: A board member asked about the city's brown bag ordinance and enforcement. The city attorney confirmed that a separate brown bag permit is required (even for businesses with a liquor license) and that an application process was created within the last year. Sergeant Cowan stated that his office has not received complaints about brown bagging, but spot inspections are conducted when aware of violations. The chair emphasized that the board's purview is limited to beer permits.
- Shady Corner / Play’s Corner: Zach asked about the status of a previous request for cameras at Play’s Corner. Sergeant Cowan explained that he cannot request cameras; camera placement is crime- and community-driven based on statistics. Neighborhood associations can request cameras from the police department. The city attorney reminded the board to stay within its lane of beer permit matters.
Cabanas Violation Hearing (Operating Without a Beer Permit)
- Background: Cabanas Nightclub & Event Center (located on Rossville Avenue) was cited for operating without a valid beer permit. The permit expired on December 31, 2024. The business closed from March to August 2025 for sprinkler installation and reopened selling beer without a permit from August until November 2025, when Sergeant Cowan issued a violation. An administrative hearing on December 18, 2025, resulted in a recommended $500 civil penalty.
- Representative’s Testimony: The representative (identified as Esquivel, who stated he was a co-owner) explained that he was unaware of the renewal process specifics and that the business had been serving only liquor since the violation. He acknowledged operating without a beer permit for about five months.
- Board Deliberation: Some members argued the violation was knowing and prolonged. A motion to not affirm the $500 fine failed (4 yes, 3 no – needed 5 votes). A subsequent motion to impose the maximum $1,000 fine passed (5 yes, 1 no). The board also noted that the representative had misrepresented his ownership status (city documents show Gabrielle as the sole owner). The board directed that the ownership issue be resolved immediately.
Key Outcomes
- Cabanas Fine: The board sustained the violation and imposed a $1,000 civil penalty (maximum allowable). The fine must be paid within seven days. The city attorney will prepare the order.
- Ownership Issue: The board noted the discrepancy in the representative’s claimed ownership. The business must correct its ownership records with the city.
- No Other Actions: No further business was brought before the board. The meeting adjourned, followed by a training session.
Meeting Transcript
Call this meeting to order of the uh Chattanooga beer board. Uh welcome to everyone. All meeting attendees must sign in at the uh sign-in sheet for sunshine law requirements. If you would at this time silence any electronic devices and turn off or mute them so we don't disrupt the meeting, and any individuals that are gonna be addressing the board today will need to come to the podium and state your name and uh before making comments and please speak up. First item on our agenda is approval of the minutes for December eighteenth, twenty twenty five. Is there approval? So move. There's a second. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed. All right. Okay. Are there any minutes from there? No, they're not. I'm sorry. That's right, you were absent, so there aren't. So I think that exists. But let's reset. Make a note that there's there's no uh the no minutes. Sorry about that. We moved. Okay. Okay, first item on our agenda is beer applications passed from the last meeting. Uh and Nathan Bedford L L C doing business as uptown reload. Glass Street Consumer District. Oh, I'm sorry, swearing in on the witnesses. I'm sorry. I don't know if you agree, though, but I'll just go ahead and thank you. That's a coming up. I do. Got it. Thank you, Lori. Okay, now Nathan Bedford LLC doing businesses uptown reload beer permit one three six five. And it's change of name ownership. Is there anybody here for this? Sergeant Cowan, anything on the anything you got to report on this one? I do not. That's a no. Uh I mean it's it's approved. It's approved. Okay. All right, so that's been approved. Uh no, sir, not at this time. No, the uptown uh the name change of name and ownership is still uptown, reload and Nathan is still what was the change? Just one. Okay. Yeah, just one. Name didn't change, just ownership.
openpublica.com