With a petition of 157 signatures, the owners of Viking Liquor helped spearhead a denial of a beer license for Wilby’s in Mentone Thursday afternoon.
Amy and Dannie Hurd appeared before the Kosciusko County Alcoholic Beverage Board, along with Mentone Town Marshal Jim Eads, to voice their displeasure with an application by Scott Williams to get his new Wilby’s location a license to sell beer.
Williams also owns a Wilby’s in Syracuse.
Board member Elim Smith took exception with the fact that, according to the floor plan, the beer would be located right next to the front door.
Williams’ attorney, Jack Birch, said Williams’ Syracuse store has yet to have a violation or issues.
The Hurds contended that Wilby’s would hurt their business, which has gone down in beer sales since 2007.
They also presented a letter from Mentone Town Council President Tim Croy stating his opposition to it.
The Hurds argued that with only about 1,000 people in town and 676 of them of drinking age, there wasn’t a need for another place to buy alcohol.
Birch countered that the Hurds were coming from a biased position and that Williams was looking to add beer sales to help make his business profitable.
“They have a whole different market,” said Birch. “Mr. Williams would only be able to sell warm beer. Not cold beer. Not liquor.”
A letter from Pastor Rod Utter of Cornerstone Church was also read. Utter took issue with the fact that Wilby’s was so close to the church.
The two buildings were measured to be 207 feet away from each other.
The license petition failed as board members Elim Smith and Kenneth Johnson voted it down. Board president Gordon Vanator was absent from Thursday’s meeting.
Williams can take an appeal to the state board.
“What the state does I don’t know,” said Smith, who has never in his terms on the board voted for a gas station to get a license. “In my heart, I can’t vote for it.”
All those who signed the petition against Wilby’s will be notified if and when an appeal hearing is scheduled.
Warsaw Restaurant Hits License Delay
Yamato’s Steakhouse of Japan, Argonne Road, Warsaw, will have to wait at least another month before it can begin selling alcohol.
State-required signage was not posted May 31 when excise officers checked Yamato’s.
Because of state law requirement, the sign had to be posted for 30 days consecutively.
The signage lets people know the establishment is filing for a license.
Yamato’s had filed for a beer and wine license.
The hearing was continued until the board’s July meeting.
Stella’s To Sell Beer, Wine; Gordy’s License Transfer Put On Hold
Stella’s Sub Pub, North Detroit Street, Warsaw, was approved to sell beer and wine by the board.
Owner Karol Prout Clemens said the restaurant, located where Pickerman’s formerly was, has a changed layout.
Customers are now served at their tables rather than going to the counter.
Prout Clemens formerly owned Gordy’s Sub Pub, and Stella’s menu carries items that were formerly served at Gordy’s.
Gordy’s old three-way liquor license is expected to be transferred to Rocky and Tom Clemens, who also own the Time Out in Warsaw, at July’s meeting.
Rocky Clemens appeared before the board to explain the transfer.
He said that since his wife, Karol, was only going to serve beer and wine at Stella’s, they bought Pickerman’s old beer and wine license for that.
That allows the transfer of the Gordy’s license, of which Rocky and Tom Clemens were minority owners, to them fully.
Rocky Clemens said they currently have no plans for the license and would look to sell it.
The approval had to be put on hold though because the transfer listed the address of the Time Out for the Gordy’s license.
Had the board approved the transfer, it would have superceded Time Out’s current license, thus taking away the bar’s ability to serve carry out.
Instead, the board moved to delay the transfer for a month to allow a letter of intent to be drafted by an attorney.
That will allow Time Out to keep its current license while also fully taking on Gordy’s.
Gordy’s license is in its fourth year of escrow out of five.
Excise officer April Tackett said she was unsure whether a transfer would give a new five-year escrow window to the Gordy’s license. Maple Leaf Grille Has Interested Party?
Lisa McKinney, an attorney for the former Maple Leaf Grille, 937 N. Detroit St., Warsaw, appeared before the board to explain the former restaurant’s liquor license escrow status.
The license is in its fifth year, at the end of which will go back to the state unless it is used by Maple Leaf or sold.
McKinney said the location is actively been shopped but cited a bad economy for why it hasn’t sold yet.
“They’ve reduced the price drastically,” said McKinney. “We have an interested party but no offer yet.
Raccoon Run, Tippy Country Club Renewed With Violations
Two Kosciusko County golf courses had their liquor licenses renewed with violations.
Denny Hepler, Raccoon Run, appeared before the board for a violation that happened in April 2011.
According to Hepler, an underage employee, who didn’t have a permit to sell alcohol, served an excise officer and an underage partner beer.
Hepler said the employee was asked several times by the underage subject to get him a beer and finally the employee relented.
Raccoon Run paid a $750 fine, and Hepler said it was his golf course’s first violation in the 15 years he’s owned it.
Paul Kornfeind, chief operation officer of Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, said his violation was from an incident last year.
An employee was cited for selling to an underage person as well as serving to a non-member.
Kornfeind said both the underage customer and an excise officer came in dressed in golf attire and the employee thought they were father and son.
Tippy Country Club has since changed its license status from a private club to restaurant so now non-members can be served without having to fill out any paperwork.
The club paid a $650 fine.
In other business, Freedom Express, Ind 13. North Webster, was given a renewal with a violation.
Owner Greg Cobb said the violation came from an October 2011 incident and that the employee who sold beer to an underage informant has since been fired.
The following businesses had their licenses renewed with no violations: – Huntington Street Bar and Grill, North Huntington Street, Syracuse – Ruby Tuesday, East Center Street, Warsaw – VFW Post, 1126, Warsaw – Cerulean, West 12th Street, Winona Lake – King’s Keg, Ind. 13, North Webster – Oswego Mini Mart, East Armstrong Road, Oswego – Pierceton Discount Package Store, First Street, Pierceton Follow staff writer Daniel Riordan on Twitter at @TUNews_Riordan He can be reached at 574-267-3111, Ext. 246.
