Providence's
Iron Gate Grill wants to be a brewery
By Megan
Wiseman
February 11, 2009 | PROVIDENCE Iron Gate Grill had
the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC)
give a presentation to the Providence City Council Tuesday
about getting a brewery license.
Owners Jeremy Jones and Shelice Condie hope to bring
more notice to the restaurant and think that can happen
by obtaining a brewery license to produce their own
beer.
"It's a pride of authorship and also a money motivation,"
Jones said to the council.
Licensing and Compliance specialist Neil Cohen, who
gave the presentation for the DABC, explained the logistics
of obtaining a brewery license and exactly what it meant.
Cohen said that getting a brewery license is a difficult
process and that an establishment that was trying to
obtain one would first need to get an operation permit
through the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Once
the establishment has been qualified with the TTB, which
is a very hard process, they are basically a "shoo-in
for the rest of the process" said Cohen.
Not all members of the council were completely on
board with the idea of a brewery being established in
Providence. Councilman John Russell had concerns about
what regulation Providence city had once the establishment
was granted their brewery permit. Russell asked if Iron
Gate Grill were to get the brewery license to supplement
their restaurant and then a couple years later decide
to shut down the restaurant and only be a brewery, would
the city have any control over being able to stop the
company from starting off as one business and evolving
into another?
After much discussion and confusion the council and
Cohen came to the conclusion that the city wouldn't
be able to affect the business through licensing policies,
however, zoning policies would be a factor and the business
would most likely have to be moved or changed if the
situation occurred.
Although Iron Gate Grill already has a liquor license
which allows them to serve alcohol, Jones said he is
hoping the restaurant could turn into something more
like Roosters Brewing Co. and Restaurant, but for Logan.
Iron Gate Grill hasn't started making any big moves
towards becoming a brewery, but the owners wanted to
start the process by having the council informed on
the steps and regulations the restaurant would have
to go through.
Mayor Randy Simmons said that the issues will be a
topic of many upcoming city council meetings before
any final decisions are made.
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