Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk planned to have beer flowing all summer long, but the Nashville Metropolitan Beer Permit Board temporarily yanked its beer permit over social distancing violations.
The restaurant was one of several places in Nashville to be hit with a five-day beer permit suspension after they were caught serving customers at the bar on Saturday. The county’s public health emergency order prohibits restaurants from seating and serving customers at the bar, though the remainder of the dining area can be used up to 75% capacity. County inspector Melvin Brown told the Tennessean that Kid Rock’s bar violated that regulation.
“They were in violation of two points of the order that states bar areas must remain closed to the public,” Brown said. “No interaction with the public is allowed, and alcohol can only be served at tables and booths.”
Steve Smith, the owner of Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk, found the suspension to be ridiculous. He said serving customers at the bar was a safer option than using some of the tables in the restaurant.
“The Nashville government is, like, communist. They’ve got us behind a Berlin Wall,” Smith said. “We met with Mayor Cooper and the doctors weeks ago and explained how having bar service is safer than table service. They’re doing everything they can to put us out of business. The state of Tennessee is already in Phase 4, and they’re talking about holding us in Phase 2. It’s against our constitutional rights.”
Davidson County will enter Phase 3 on Monday. Smith and the 13 owners of other facilities have been cited by the local government for violating the order as the rest of the state has nearly returned to normal. Will Cheek III, an attorney for Nudie’s Honky Tonk, said some of the bars are going to fight the board’s decision to suspend beer permits.
“I was very surprised the board issued a suspension,” Cheek said. “We’re going to ask the beer board to do something more reasonable, which is to issue a fine. A suspension is too much. It’s particularly hard on the heels of being closed by COVID. These businesses have suffered.”
The owners have 14 days to file an appeal. The maximum civil fine owners could face for a first offense is $1,000. Metro Public Health Bureau Director Hugh Atkins said that he believes owners were given plenty of guidance about the policies before punishments were distributed.
“We have an extensive public outreach to educate the permit holders in Metro about the requirements of these orders,” Atkins said. “[Public Health Director] Dr. Michael Caldwell conducted a walk-through at Kid Rock’s and received a subsequent complaint. We have, in daily press briefings from the mayor’s office, emphasized the requirements of the orders.”
States and local governments have made their own decisions about how to reopen following shutdowns that were issued to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
