KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knoxville Beer Board on Wednesday announced its decision to temporarily suspend a local bar’s permit for repeated violations of the city’s alcohol curfew.
The beer permit of Paul’s Oasis Sports Grille & Spirit will be suspended for 60 days after the Knoxville Beer Board found the business to be guilty of non-compliance offenses for the city’s alcohol curfew. The business has also been issued a $7,000 which must be paid in full before the permit is restored.
The bar has been cited at least 11 times since the Knox County Board of Health voted in November to institute social gathering limits, including a 10 p.m. curfew on dine-in service at bars and restaurants. The board voted to push the curfew to 11 p.m. in late January.
Paul’s Oasis will still be able to serve food and liquor during the suspension of the beer permit.
“When he would walk back into the bar, he would hold it above his head for all of his patrons to see and you could hear them cheer.”
Knoxville Police testimony during beer board hearing for Paul’s oasis
The city originally filed two noncompliance complaints against the bar seeking fines of more than $10,000 and a suspension of the beer permit for 60 days.
Testimony was heard from the city, representatives for the bar, and the officer who wrote most of the citations during Knoxville Beer Board online hearings.
The officer described how bar owner Paul Osterbrink reacted to one citation.
“When he would walk back into the bar, he would hold it above his head for all of his patrons to see and you could hear them cheer,” the officer testified.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon released the following statement:
“The City views this as a fair and just ruling. We take no pleasure in suspending any business’ beer permit. But in this case, Paul’s Oasis irresponsibly and flagrantly put its employees and patrons at risk by refusing to comply with the Board of Health’s pandemic safety measures. We did what was appropriate and necessary to safeguard public health.
“I wholeheartedly support the science-based actions taken by the Board of Health, and I thank the overwhelming majority of bars and restaurants that are doing their part to keep us all safe. When we get through this pandemic, it will be because so many of us are doing the right things to protect each other.”
A hearing for another Knoxville bar that has been cited 18 times, Billiards and Brews, is set for Feb. 9.
