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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 57-4-201

  • beverage: means and includes alcohol, spirits, liquor, wine, and every liquid containing alcohol, spirits, wine and capable of being consumed by a human being, other than patented medicine or beer as defined in §. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Club: means a nonprofit association organized and existing under the laws of this state, which has been in existence and operating as a nonprofit association for at least two (2) years prior to the application for a license hereunder, having at least one hundred (100) members regularly paying dues, organized and operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation and other nonprofit purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any shareholder or member. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Commercial airline: includes any airline operating in interstate commerce under a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the appropriate federal or state agency, or under an exemption from the requirement of obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity but otherwise regulated by an appropriate federal or state agency, with adequate facilities and equipment for serving passengers, on regular schedules, or charter trips, while moving through any county of the state, but not while any such commercial airline is stopped in a county or municipality that has not legalized such sales. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Commercial airline travel club: means an organization established and operated by or for a commercial airline as defined in this section for the convenience and comfort of airline passengers. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Commercial passenger boat company: means a company that operates one (1) or more passenger vessels for hire upon navigable waterways and is licensed by the United States Coast Guard to carry not less than fifty (50) passengers on a single vessel. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Commission: means the alcoholic beverage commission, created pursuant to chapter 1 of this title. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Community theater: means a facility or theater possessing each of the following characteristics:
    (i) The community theater is at least eight (8) years old. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Convention center: means a facility possessing each of the following characteristics:
    (i) Owned by the state, municipal and/or county government, or a nonprofit, tax exempt, charitable organization that operates a symphony orchestra, and leased or operated by that government or by a nonprofit charitable corporation established to operate such facility. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • facility: includes any location within the property designated by the licensee. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Food hall: means a public place:
    (i) Kept, used, maintained, advertised, and held out to the public as a place where meals are served and where meals are actually and regularly served. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • High alcohol content beer: means an alcoholic beverage which is beer, ale or other malt beverage having an alcoholic content of more than eight percent (8%) by weight and not more than twenty percent (20%) by weight, except wine as defined in §. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Historic interpretive center: means a facility possessing each of the following characteristics:
    (i) The center is located in an historic area of town where structures listed on the national register of historic places are located. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Historic mansion house site: means the buildings and grounds of a historic mansion house, located in any county having a metropolitan form of government, included in the Tennessee register of historic places, and operated by the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, and including Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities sites owned by this state. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Historic performing arts center: means a facility possessing each of the following characteristics:
    (i) The center is located in a restored theater that is at least fifty (50) years old and listed on the national register of historic places. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • License: means the license issued pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Licensee: means any person to whom such license has been issued pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Limited service restaurant: means a facility possessing each of the following characteristics:
    (A) Is a public place which has a seating capacity for at least forty (40) patrons and that is kept, used, maintained, advertised and held out to the public as a place where during regular hours of operation:
    (i) Alcoholic beverages, beer or wine are served to patrons. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Manufacture: means and includes brewing high alcohol content beer, distilling, rectifying and operating a winery. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Manufacturer: means and includes a brewer of high alcohol content beer, distiller, vintner and rectifier. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Municipality: means an incorporated town or city having a population of:
    (i) Seven hundred (700) or more, according to the 2010 federal census or a subsequent federal census. See Tennessee Code 57-3-101
  • Museum: means a building or institution serving as a repository of natural, scientific or literary curiosities or works of art for public display and further possesses the following characteristics:
    (i) The museum is at least fifty (50) years old. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • premier type tourist resort: means :
    (A)
    (i) A commercially operated facility that:
    (a) Was established in 1962. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Public aquarium: means a facility which contains a collection of living aquatic animals whose sole or primary habitat is water and which facility provides for care and housing for public exhibition, and also possesses the following characteristics:
    (A) The exhibits containing live aquatic animals for public viewing are housed in a building having at least one hundred thousand square feet (100,000 sq. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Restaurant: means any public place kept, used, maintained, advertised and held out to the public as a place where meals are served and where meals are actually and regularly served, without sleeping accommodations, such place being provided with adequate and sanitary kitchen and dining room equipment and seating capacity of at least forty (40) people at tables, having employed therein a sufficient number and kind of employees to prepare, cook and serve suitable food for its guests. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Sports authority facility: means a facility possessing the following characteristics:
    (i) The facility is owned or operated by a sports authority established under title 7, chapter 67, a public building authority or a governmental entity. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport: means a building, including any concourses thereof, used by commercial airlines and their customers for sale of airline tickets, enplaning and deplaning of airline passengers, loading and unloading of baggage and cargo, and for providing other related services for the convenience of airline passengers and others, located in any airport which is served by one (1) or more commercial airlines, and:
    (A) Is operated by a board of commissioners whose membership is appointed by the legislative bodies of five (5) or more local governments or whose membership is appointed pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Theater: means any establishment in which motion pictures are exhibited to the public regularly for a charge. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Urban park center: means a facility or designated area possessing the following characteristics:
    (i) The center is owned, operated, or leased by a municipal or county government, or any agency or commission thereof. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Wine: means the product of the normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice of fresh, sound, ripe grapes, with the usual cellar treatment and necessary additions to correct defects due to climatic, saccharine and seasonal conditions, including champagne, sparkling and fortified wine of an alcoholic content not to exceed twenty-one percent (21%) by volume. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Zoological institution: means a facility which contains a zoological garden or collection of living animals and provides for their care and housing for public exhibition and further possesses the following characteristics:
    (i) The zoo is owned, operated, or leased by a municipal or county government. See Tennessee Code 57-4-102
(1) The commission created pursuant to chapter 1 of this title, has the authority to administer parts 1-3 of this chapter.
(2) The commission shall make regulations, not inconsistent with this chapter, for clarifying, interpreting, carrying out and enforcing the terms of this chapter, for ensuring the proper and orderly conduct of business by licensees, and for regulating all advertising of alcoholic beverages by licensees.
(3) Expiration of the licenses granted pursuant to this chapter shall be as provided by § 57-3-213(a), (b) and (c).
(4) Further, all the provisions of §§ 57-3-214 and 57-3-404(a) and (b), shall apply to licensees under this chapter.
(b)

(1) Any person, firm or corporation owning any hotel, convention center, premier type tourist resort, restaurant, food hall, club, historic performing arts center, community theater, theater, historic interpretive center, urban park center, zoological institution, public aquarium, museum, historic mansion house site or commercial passenger boat company as defined in § 57-4-102, desiring to sell wine or other alcoholic beverages for consumption on its premises where food may be served, shall make application to the commission in duplicate on forms furnished by the commission for a permit so to do. The commission is authorized to issue a limited permit to a restaurant making application under § 57-4-101(c)(1), authorizing such restaurant to serve wine but not any other alcoholic beverages. Notwithstanding § 57-3-803, the commission is authorized to issue a limited license to a retail food store authorizing a restaurant within a retail food store to serve wine but no other alcoholic beverages within a designated area within the retail food store. A retail food store may receive a restaurant license under this section without complying with seating requirements or requirements regarding minimum food sales for a wine only licensee as long as the retail food store provides prepared food for sale to customers and pays a license fee equal to the license fee in § 57-4-301(b)(1)(R)(vii). Any person, firm or corporation desiring to sell wine or other alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises of any terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport as defined in § 57-4-102, or of a commercial airline travel club as defined in § 57-4-102, or of a sports authority facility as defined in § 57-4-102, shall make application to the commission in duplicate on forms furnished by the commission for a permit to do so. No person, firm or corporation shall be authorized to engage in making such sales until the permit therefor is approved and issued by the commission.
(2) No license may be granted hereunder to any establishment when any person, firm or corporation having at least a five percent (5%) ownership interest in the establishment has been convicted within ten (10) years prior to the application for a license hereunder of a violation of the laws governing the sale or manufacture of alcoholic beverages or of any felony.
(3)

(A) If a license has been issued to an establishment as a restaurant pursuant to § 57-4-102 and such licensee desires to exchange its license as a restaurant for a license as a limited service restaurant, the commission may issue the establishment a license as a limited service restaurant in accordance with chapter 1133 of the Public Acts of 2010, upon the filing of an application by the licensee for the issuance of a license as a limited service restaurant, together with the payment of the application fee required pursuant to § 57-4-301(b)(1) and a sworn statement indicating the gross revenue from the previous year derived from food sales and the gross revenue derived from liquor sales, and, if approved, paying the license fee, or the prorated difference between its restaurant license fee and the license fee, if applicable, required pursuant to § 57-4-301(b)(1)(W). Such statement shall determine the appropriate license fee to be paid. It is the intent that on-premises licenses permitting the sale of alcoholic beverages at restaurants shall not be required to fulfill any other requirements in order to be issued a license to serve alcoholic beverages as a limited service restaurant.
(B) Should the commission find that any restaurant fails to satisfy the requirements of § 57-4-102(31)(A) but would otherwise qualify as a limited service restaurant, such establishment shall be permitted thirty (30) days following such finding to elect to exchange its license for a limited service restaurant license upon paying to the commission a new application fee and the prorated difference between its restaurant license fee and the license fee required pursuant to § 57-4-301(b)(1)(X).
(C) For purposes of exchanging a restaurant license as a limited service restaurant license, if the licensee had been issued a license by the alcoholic beverage commission as a restaurant, the initial license fee shall be based on the percentage of gross sales the establishment generated from the service of meals during the year previous to the year the license as a limited service restaurant is requested.
(D) Any establishment applying for a renewal of its license shall submit a sworn statement indicating the gross revenue from the previous year derived from food sales and the gross revenue derived from liquor sales. Such statement shall determine the license fee to be paid pursuant to § 57-4-301(b)(1)(X).
(E)

(i) If a license is requested by an applicant who does not hold an existing license as a restaurant, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the amount of gross sales from prepared food will be between zero percent (0%) but not more than fifteen percent (15%). An applicant may rebut the presumption by including with the application a business plan which indicates the gross sales from prepared food will be higher than fifteen percent (15%). The commission shall advise each applicant of the applicant’s right to include with the application a business plan which includes a projection of the amount of gross sales of prepared food and in such case, the commission shall assess the appropriate license fee based on such projection.
(ii) Any establishment applying for a renewal of its license as a limited service restaurant shall submit a sworn statement indicating the percentage of gross revenue for the previous year derived from food sales and the gross revenue derived from sales of alcoholic beverages. If the statement indicates the gross sales from prepared food was higher than the initial projection or higher than the amount actually sold in the previous year, requiring the payment of a lower licensure fee, the commission shall refund the difference to the licensee within thirty (30) days of the date the statement is filed with the commission. If the statement indicates the gross sales from prepared food was less than the projection or than the amount actually sold in the previous year, requiring the payment of a higher licensure fee, the commission shall require the licensee to pay to the commission the difference between the licensure fee actually paid at the time the renewal fee is paid.
(c)

(1) Any club seeking to obtain a license under this chapter shall, as a condition precedent to its obtaining such license, cause to be printed in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or municipality where such club is located a public notice that the club is seeking a license from the commission to sell liquor by the drink. The notice shall include the name and address of each officer of such club, the address of the location of the club, an indication of the number of regular dues paying members, and the name and address of the individual to be in actual charge of the sale of alcoholic beverages. The commission is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations further establishing the content and format of such notice.
(2) Any club seeking to obtain a license under this chapter shall submit with its application a certificate signed by the county mayor or chair of the county commission in which the club is located if outside the corporate limits of a municipality or, if within a municipality, from the mayor or a majority of the commission, city council or legislative body of the municipality by whatsoever name designated, or if the municipality has no mayor, from the highest executive of the municipality. The certificate must state that the persons to be in actual charge of the sale of alcoholic beverages are of good moral character and are personally known to the official or officials signing the certificate, or that such official or officials have made careful investigation of the person’s or persons’ general character, and from such investigation it is found to be good. In the event the club is unable to obtain such certificate from the proper certifying official, the applicant shall file with the commission with the applicant’s application a petition in duplicate stating that the applicant has made application to the certifying official for the certificate and same has been wrongfully, illegally or arbitrarily refused, and otherwise setting forth reasons why the applicant is entitled to such license, notwithstanding the refusal aforementioned, and the manner in which the refusal is wrongful, illegal or arbitrary. The commission shall hold a hearing to determine whether the license shall be issued. The hearing shall be conducted pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. The commission shall make such order granting or refusing the license as, in its discretion, the entire record at such hearing shall justify, and such order shall be effective from its date.
(3) This subsection (c) shall not be applicable to any club having a license on May 1, 1980, or to the renewal of a license for such club.
(d) The commission shall have authority to require an applicant, under oath, to disclose the following information:

(1) The name of the applicant;
(2) Location of the hotel, convention center, premier type tourist resort, restaurant, club, historic performing arts center, community theater, theater, historic interpretive center, urban park center, zoological institution, public aquarium, museum, historic mansion house site, terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport, commercial airline travel club, commercial passenger boat company, or sports authority facility;
(3) Sufficient data to establish that applicant meets the requirements of §§ 57-3-110, 57-4-101, 57-4-102;
(4) The true owner thereof;
(5) That neither the applicant nor any person to be employed in the serving of beverages authorized herein shall be a person who has been convicted of any violation of the laws against possession, sale, manufacture or transportation of intoxicating liquor or of any felony within eight (8) years prior to the application for a license hereunder;
(6) That the manager and/or operator of the hotel, convention center, premier type tourist resort, restaurant, club, zoological institution, public aquarium, museum, community theater, theater, historic interpretive center, historic performing arts center, establishment in a terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport, commercial airline travel club, commercial passenger boat company, or sports authority facility seeking such permit is of good moral character;
(7) The name and email address of the licensee to whom notification of violations must be given; and
(8) Such other relevant information as may be required by the commission.
(e) The commission is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations governing its procedure but it shall consider all applications promptly.
(f)

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this title to the contrary, an entity that holds a license to manufacture high alcohol content beer issued by the commission shall be authorized to sell on its premises beer or high alcohol content beer which has been brewed on such premises, for consumption on its premises without the requirement of an additional license under this part. Any sale of high alcohol content beer by such manufacturer or brewery shall be subject to the tax imposed by § 57-4-301(c).
(2) Any manufacturer or brewery electing to effect sales of beer or high alcohol content beer for consumption on its premises must advise the commission as to the designated area where such sales will occur and shall be subject to the conditions of § 57-4-203 for such sales, except such manufacturer or brewery may effect sales for off-premises consumption pursuant to § 57-3-202(h).
(g) Notwithstanding any law or rule to the contrary, upon collection of a fifty-dollar licensing fee, the commission may issue temporary licenses not to exceed thirty (30) days to any new applicant for a license issued pursuant to this chapter.
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