PHOTO: The City of Fort Payne's Alcohol Board recently approved a retail liquor license for Applebee's and renewed the permit for Toke, which had lapsed due to change in ownership. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — Last Wednesday (May 26) at noon, the The City of Fort Payne's Alcohol Board convened to approve a new permit and handle the renewal of an existing permit.
The board typically approves such permits, after reviewing the submitted permit to ensure everything is in order and it doesn't violate the city's existing alcohol laws.
Fort Payne City Clerk Andy Parker began the meeting: "We've got a couple of these matters to discuss today. Both of them are short and sweet. Applebee's of course is projected to open sometime in June, first of July. They've submitted their application. Of course, we don't have the building and fire marshall paperwork yet, which we will not have that until they complete the building, but everything else is in order."
"They have requested a restaurant retail liquor, which is everything. So my recommendation is to approve it conditionally, of course pending on the submittals of the fire marshall paperwork," said Parker.
The license will cost Applebee's $1500 annually, and the license will have to be renewed on January 1, 2018. The license will be official once the city council approves the board's recommendation.
"Toke, the only thing they are doing is that they've had a change of ownership. Nothing has changed as far as the location or type of alcohol license," explained Parker.
Parker then explained that the previous owner's had sold the business right after the first of the current year, and the permit needed to be transferred to the new owner.
The board approved the transfer of the license to the new owners, and Toke will be able to serve sake with it's sushi again, pending approval by the Fort Payne City Council in the next meeting.
