DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Amid a newly-filed federal lawsuit alleging city officials target black-owned business, a fresh batch of Buford Highway establishments are facing liquor license violations. They are accompanied by new, $100,000 fees.
On April 18, the city of Brookhaven sent violation letters to eight establishments, accusing them of fraudulently representing themselves as restaurants, rather than nightclubs. The letters point out the business owners failed to acknowledge their “Entertainment Venue” statuses by omitting information about DJs, dance floors and stages during a routine safety inspection conducted earlier this month.
All of the businesses are located within a 2.5-mile stretch of Buford Highway.
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In accordance with the city’s new liquor license code, the businesses are now subject to $100,000 annual liquor license fees required of nightclubs, versus the $5,000 fees they paid as restaurants. The code went into effect in October of 2017, several months after a deep study examined violent crime along the corridor. The incidents were associated with patrons of alcohol-selling establishments that stayed open late.