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Dillsboro restaurants begin wine, beer sales
By Justin Goble
Four months after voters approved beer and wine sales, Dillsboro restaurants are starting to offer the beverages to customers..
Restaurant owners must apply for a license from the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission before they can sell wine and beer.
While Dillsboro officials may be contacted to offer an opinion of an applicant, the decision to issue a license lies solely with the ABC board, according to Town Clerk Herb Nolan.
At present, only Dillsboro Steak and Seafood is licensed to sell beer and wine. Co-owner Melissa Zoda said things have been going well since her establishment started selling the beverages.
“We’re doing pretty good,” she said. People are happy with it.”
Steak and Seafood won’t be alone for long. Other restaurants in the town are following suit and applying for licenses.
Lil’ Harvey’s Place owner Alicia Jacobs said her establishment has gone through the application process and should have the license soon.
“We don’t have it at this immediate time,” she said. “But we’re going this week to get it.”
C.B. Hart, owner of Dillsboro Smokehouse, said he has started the application process, which should go smoothly, he said.
“I’m expecting to hear back by mid-March,” he said. “I don’t see any problems (with the application).”
Not all of the restaurants in town are will apply, though. The Jarrett House and the Well House both reported in November they would not seek a license. Workers at New Horizons Cafe told The Herald recently that the restaurant has not begun the application process and were unsure when or if it would.
Sales of the beverages were passed during the Nov. 8 election by a vote of 38-17 for beer and 39-15 for non-fortified wine.
Dillsboro officials had to seek help from the General Assembly to get the beer and wine vote on the November ballot. Town board members sent an April letter to Rep. Phil Haire (D-Sylva), asking him to present a bill that would allow Dillsboro to hold a referendum. State statutes require legislative approval for alcoholic beverage referendums in towns with fewer than 500 residents.
After approval was granted by the General Assembly, town board members voted Aug. 30 to put beer and wine sales on the ballot.
Dillsboro residents previously voted on alcohol sales in restaurants in 1998, when the measure was narrowly defeated. That referendum included package stores along with on-premises sales. Another push to put on-premises sales on the ballot came in 2001, but that effort failed due to statutes that disallow a vote for five years after a referendum has been defeated.
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