MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County reports that nearly a third of the county's restaurants and bars are behind schedule to re-apply for their liquor licenses. That means people in those establishments may not be able to ring in the new year with an adult beverage.
The owners of both Bearfoot Tavern and Macon Beer Company say they applied to their license renewals before the deadline.
They're part of the two-third of businesses who will get 2020 liquor licenses in time for the new year.
Virgil Watkins says he wants to extend a grace period to the other third of businesses who might be out of luck.
Bearfoot Tavern owner Cesare Mammarella says the holiday season can be stressful. One reason is the license renewals that keep the place running.
"The city business license, the city alcohol license, the Georgia Department of Revenue license, you've got the health department, they require something, and those are just renewals," said Mammarella.
Bibb County's Business Development Services division says the county has nearly 400 businesses with liquor licenses. As of last Friday, nearly a third of them haven't re-applied yet.
"It's going to take us some time -- the bureaucratic process, the after-checks, and whatever they do," said Watkins.
This year, County Commissioner Virgil Watkins sponsored an ordinance to move the deadline for every business to December 31st, but he says there's no guarantee that applications submitted after November 1st will get processed in time.
"As long as you have your paperwork in before the deadline -- that's not on you that's on the county," said Watkins.
He's sponsoring a new ordinance to allow a 60-day grace period, which means business owners could serve alcohol into the new year as long as they apply around the first week of February.
"It's just one of those things, it kind of sucks you have to do it every year. I wish you could just click a button, 'Here's my money. Let's do it over again,'" said Mammarella.
Mammarella says several years ago, he almost didn't get his liquor license and when the clock struck midnight. He had a state agency asking him where it was.
"It just didn't get run from the city mailbox from where it was supposed to go in the business office," said Mammarella.
He says the grace period would help business owners keep people moving.
Watkins says the deadline shouldn't be a surprise to business owners who should know they have to pay the bill. He says the county's Business Development Services Department sent out reminder letters in late October, which gave businesses a short window to apply.
The proposal for the 60-day grace period will be up for a vote on Tuesday.
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