Embattled Stay Social owner exhausts latest appeal to keep alcohol license
Stay Social Tap and Table could be staying closed.
The former Evans tapas bar exhausted what is likely its last court appeal, argued Monday, to overturn Columbia County’s decision to rescind the business’ alcohol license. The decision renders Stay Social owner Renee Hajek ineligible to apply for an alcohol license in Georgia for the next 10 years.
The county’s Board of Commissioners voted in October 2022 to nullify the license. The county concluded that the eatery didn’t obey a local ordinance requiring that an “eating establishment” serving by-the-drink alcohol must derive at least 50% of its "gross annual sales” from food.
Several supporters of the business have alleged the license revocation was a reaction to Stay Social playing host to shows over the summer featuring drag queens.
But in his 29-page ruling issued Tuesday, Columbia County Superior Court Judge James G. Blanchard Jr. dismissed Stay Social’s contention that the county pulled the license because of the drag shows. He also declared “inadmissible” an affidavit from Stay Social owner Renee Hajek that relates her interpretation of the events leading up to the license revocation.
Dragged out: Farewell show marks closing of embattled Columbia County tapas bar
“Faced with a lack of record support, the affidavit is an attempt to allege new facts to claim that the court was incorrect in its order and that the court should reverse itself,” Blanchard wrote.
He also stated that the scope of the most recent appeal is limited to deciding whether “the Board of Commissioners’ decision is supported by substantial evidence.”
“Ultimately, at base, Stay seeks to use the petition and the new, untested affidavit to create a different record now that its initial attempt failed,” the judge wrote. "Stay does not get two bites of the apple, however.”
Currently, Columbia County restaurants serving by-the-drink alcohol aren’t legally required to disclose whether their food sales cleave to the 50% rule.
Stay Social’s food sales numbers came to light during a review of the business' financials by the Development Authority of Columbia County, which had extended to Stay Social owner Renee Hajek a $64,000 grant and a forgivable loan of about $36,000 to help grow the new business.
Amid public complaints that the law that closed Stay Social was applied unfairly and unevenly, Columbia County announced at its Jan. 3 Board of Commissioners meeting that the county plans to require all local restaurants serving by-the-drink alcohol to report precisely how much food and alcohol they sell. County staff are presently determining the method by which those figures will be collected.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Evans tapas bar featuring drag queens loses appeal, alcohol license
