Beer Board Regular Meeting - July 21, 2026

The Knoxville Beer Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Main Assembly Room. The board approved multiple beer permits (both special event and regular), heard reports on a compliance check, and referred one establishment to a revocation hearing for failing to meet the annual alcohol seller training requirement.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The minutes of the June 23, 2026 regular meeting were approved as distributed with no corrections.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak.

Reports of Officers

• Beer Inspector (Officer Presley): Reported on an ABC alcohol compliance check conducted on July 14, 2026. ABC visited 14 establishments in the city; 6 sold alcohol to a minor. The establishments that sold to a minor include Avape Lounge (Central), Fiori (Jackson), Frank and George's (Depot), one non-permitted business on Blunt Avenue, and Expectations (Kearns). No further action was taken by the board at this meeting.
• Clerk's Report: The beer fund balance stands at approximately $290,000. No active suspension notification hearing updates beyond Harbor's Market, which has a hearing scheduled before the hearing officer on August 5, 2026.

Discussion Items

• Postponement Request: Merchants Vapor (item 8N) requested and was granted a postponement to the August 2026 meeting without objection.
• Address Issue (Item 8D – Family Neighbor): Councilman Grant noted that the address for Family Neighbor (3001 Burnside St) has an active suspension/revocation involving Harbor's Market. The law department is in consultation with Harbor's Market's attorney, and they may surrender their permits before a new permit is issued. No action was needed.
• CAS Class Compliance (Other Business): The board discussed Suttree's Hi Gravity Tavern (d/b/a Cetrius), which had been sent multiple letters regarding non-compliance with the annual Knoxville Alcohol Seller (CAS) class requirement. The last CAS class attendance from that business was May 23, 2024. The owner appeared at the previous meeting and promised to complete the requirement but did not do so and was not present at this meeting. A motion was made and seconded to refer the establishment to a revocation hearing.

Special Event Beer Permits (Approved)

• Breast Connect Inc – Benefit Concerts: Aaron Snukals described a 9/11 salute event for first responders, aiming to donate $25,000 to the Knoxville Safety Foundation. Approved unanimously.
• First Lutheran Church and School – German Fest: Event scheduled for August 22, 2026, with 10,000–12,000 participants. Approved unanimously.
• Immaculate Conception Church – Irishfest: Event on August 8, 2026, featuring bands like Def Leprechaun. Approved unanimously.
• St. George Greek Orthodox Church – 2026 Greek Fest: Event September 11–13, 2026, with proceeds going to charity (over $50,000 donated in prior years). Approved unanimously.

Regular Beer Permit Requests

All regular permit requests were approved pending final documentation unless noted otherwise:

• Au Bon Coin (ABC): Complete file – approved.
• Country Road Knoxville LLC: Needed certificate of occupancy and health department approval.
• The Drop Inn: Needed certificate of occupancy and health department approval.
• Family Neighbor: Needed certificate of occupancy and surrender of existing beer permit.
• Good Judy's (two permits – on-premise and caterer): Needed LLC articles, certificate of occupancy, health department approval, and surrender of existing permit. Owner Emily Belanger stated the concept will be similar to the former Club XYZ with an elevated bar program and expanded hours.
• Hattie B's Knoxville: Needed certificate of occupancy.
• Hilton Knoxville (two permits – on-premise and caterer): Needed surrender of existing permits; owner Paul Jordan had the documents.
• La Patrona: Needed certificate of occupancy and server plan.
• Lola's Cocktail Lounge: Needed certificate of occupancy and health department approval. Owner noted the lounge will also offer mocktail menus.
• Marriott Knoxville Downtown (two permits – on-premise and caterer): Needed surrender of existing permits.
• The Tennessean: Needed surrender of permit.
• Weekendz: Needed certificate of occupancy.

Addendum Items

• 808 Music Group: Needed certificate of occupancy, health department approval, and copy of liquor license. Applicant requested extension to September 15, 2026 meeting, as opening is planned for October 1. Motion to extend to September 15 carried.
• No Comply Pizza: Needed certificate of occupancy and health department approval. Applicant stated construction is ongoing; extension to September 15, 2026 meeting granted. If requirements are met before that date, the permit may be finalized without further board appearance.

Key Outcomes

• Special event permits for Breast Connect Inc, First Lutheran, Immaculate Conception, and St. George Greek Orthodox were all approved unanimously.
• Regular beer permits (17 applications) were all approved pending final documentation, with specific requirements noted for each.
• Merchants Vapor was postponed to the August 2026 meeting.
• 808 Music Group and No Comply Pizza were extended to the September 15, 2026 meeting.
• Suttree's Hi Gravity Tavern (Cetrius) was referred to a revocation hearing for failure to complete the mandatory CAS class, despite multiple notices and a prior promise to comply.