By By Lisa Tindell – news reporter
Members of the Claude McCall Post 79 American Legion will no longer be able to enjoy a cold one on a Sunday afternoon at the local club if an application for a lounge retail liquor license is approved by the ABC Board and the Brewton City Council.
The post has made application with the Alabama Beverage Control Board to have the establishment's license changed from a private club to a Class I lounge retail liquor license in hopes of opening the doors to other patrons.
Barnes said the post is sensitive to community needs and wants to support the area as much as possible. The expected change in the number of patrons the establishment will serve could make a difference in what the post can offer, he said.
Under guidelines set up by ABC, the changed license would require the business to close at 2 a.m. on Sundays and not allow reopening before midnight Monday. Under provisions of the current license held by the post location, the club could legally be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week since it is considered a private club. A stipulation of the current license is that only club members are allowed inside the facility.
The new license would cut short the amount of time the club would be open, but Barnes believes that the benefits outweigh the pitfalls.
The Brewton City Council agreed to hold a public hearing concerning the application at 8 a.m. Sept. 25 in the council chambers at Brewton City Hall.