MACON, Ga. — The owner of a downtown Macon steakhouse says he's considering legal action against the county after the county denied them an alcohol license.
After reviewing their business practices, Bibb County leaders rejected the Cotton Ranch's license Tuesday.
"Well, we've had several issues from the very beginning on one of the businesses we have downtown called the Cotton Ranch," Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller said.
That's even though the Cotton Ranch just opened up in May. In July, the Cotton Ranch applied for an alcohol license.
Miller says they delayed voting on it due to complaints about the business.
"Issues with paying some employees there," he said. "Potentially misusing some permits there – some special event permits."
Miller says the Cotton Ranch was serving alcohol from another business they owned before they got their own alcohol license. He says that's illegal.
"We placed some restrictions and then waited a couple of weeks for the approval there on purpose," Miller said.
Miller says more complaints started rolling in, even from other counties.
"We had received several calls from Eatonton, Ga., where a check had been bounced for some alcohol, which you can't do," he explained.
Miller says the last straw was getting a letter from the Georgia Department of Revenue.
"Asking us not to grant the license on their behalf because of failure to make some payments for some fees that they had," he said. "We don't get those often from the state, so it certainly means there are other things going on that we don't know about."
Miller says with all these red flags.
"We're not trying to prevent them from opening up a legitimate business, but when we have issues there that show us a cause for concern, we have to investigate those. Going on it just made plain sense to go ahead and deny this license," Miller said. "He was also looking to open up five restaurants at the same time downtown. It just wasn't the right environment. So, it was just not the right fit for us. We wish him well if they go somewhere else, but I think their business days here in Macon-Bibb are probably over."
Cotton Ranch owner Todd Miles says he did not want to comment on the denial. However, he said he didn't know why the license was being turned down, and he's talking to his lawyers about possible legal action.
Miller says they sent a letter out to Miles notifying him of the denial. He says Miles did not appeal the decision.