License to Pour

SAVANNAH, Ga.—You need a license to drink.  Do bartenders need a license to pour?  That question is at the heart of a debate between the City of Savannah and local bar and restaurant owners.

The Savannah City Council is considering a proposal requiring bartenders, servers, security staff, and managers to go through background checks, training, and registration to get a license to serve alcohol.

The city met for the third time with local businesses Monday, with about 150 people attending.

Savannah leaders say the proposed ordinance is needed to address problems like underage drinking and serving to those who have had too much to drink.

“I know that they actually do that in a lot of other states as well. I’m for it. I support that because underage drinking is a problem,“ said Garrett Dale.

“The bartenders in service should be licensed. The bartenders, for sure, the servers, maybe not so much,“ said visitor Ann Taecker.

Many business owners and managers are worried about how the ordinance will affect them.

“The city wants to tell me who I can and can’t hire and under what conditions. I don’t think that the industry I’m in needs that type of regulation. If they want my staff to be mandatory trained I’m all for that, especially as the license holder. I have no issue with a permit, but the background checks make me very nervous,“ said Trina Brown, owner of The Rail Pub.

“I was more concerned on the registration aspect of the meeting was, but I clarified with [Revenue Department Director] Buddy [Clay] that convenience store employees don’t have to be registered, but they have to be all trained,“ said Miln Patel, owner of The Quick Stop convenience stores.

Patrons also have mixed opinions about the proposal.

“You can’t legislate, you know, misbehavior or behavior to people that you’re serving. It’s up to the individual, and I don’t believe it’s up to the server,“ said Ken Liano.

“Bartenders and anybody that serves alcohol whether they’re on sale or off sale should be licensed. I just think it’s an extra precaution to serving people that either shouldn’t be served or to serving people that are underage,“ said John Goldfine.

The server training classes are estimated to cost between $20 to $40 per person. Those programs have to be approved by the city.  The license is expected to cost $25 for a two year permit.

The latest version of this proposal goes before the Savannah City Council for a first reading on Thursday. It will have to go through at least one more reading, so the earliest it would likely be up for a vote is the end of November. The city has said they hope to have this ordinance in place before St. Patrick’s Day.