It was a “Good Friday” for restaurant/bar owner, Renee Hajek. She got her mojo and Moo-Hoo back —smiling and joking with her sons— and sharing a drink or two with her client base for the first time since she got word weeks ago that her alcohol license was in jeopardy—and eventually taken.
“We are up and running and back to normal, she gushed on one of her Facebook Lives. We are all about community and we have pour-by-the-ounce taps, which are unique.”
LEGAL UPDATES
On Friday, she also learned from her attorney, P.J. Campanaro that the next step is mediation, which Chief Superior Court Judge, James Blanchard Jr. has recommended be overseen by the local mediator, Ray Chadwick.
For more than 30 years, Chadwick has mediated a variety of cases, including employment disputes, product liability, and personal injury.
Mediation allows both sides to work together to reach a resolution without going to court.
“I think both sides want to meet in the middle, which is great,” Campanaro said.
For Campanaro, that means a runway of time for Hajek to operate her business with an alcohol license with a chance to have procedures put into place—agreeable to the Columbia County government—to cover gray areas that are in conflict between both sides.
Should mediation not produce a “win-win,” then, it’s likely Judge Blanchard Jr. will hear the case on November 10th.
Earlier this month, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to revoke the restaurant’s license.
The county claims Stay violated its alcohol ordinance, which requires businesses that serve alcohol to derive at least 50 percent of their sales from prepared food items.
Last Thursday, Judge Blanchard Jr. temporarily reinstated Stay. Social Tap & Table’s alcohol license.
“I do want to make it clear that Judge Blanchard did not make a decision on the merits of the case, but had to provide permission for us to file the Writ of Certiorari with the Superior court,” Campanaro said. “If the writ is formatted correctly and raises valid legal issues, then the judge signs it.”
In this case, she defined the writ of certiorari as a way of appealing the decision of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. It also temporarily supersedes the commission’s revocation decision.
ABD also contacted Columbia County Public Relations Manager, Cassidy Harris, who said the county has no comment on the case at this time.
“This is now considered a legal matter with the ongoing investigation,” Harris said.
THE OWNER’S PERSPECTIVE
Renee Hajek said the taps were turned off for nine days, and in that time, her business lost about $13,000 in sales and tips, and her employees’ paychecks were reduced by about 50 percent. If the court sides with the county and her license is permanently revoked, she said there’s no doubt Stay would go out of business.
She said she sold her personal home to pay off the original business loan on the restaurant to a local bank. She hopes to be able to buy it back.
Hajek says there are a number of extenuating circumstances that will be fully explained in mediation or in the hearing.
Hajek said the county didn’t count gift cards and fundraisers into consideration in determining its compliance with the alcohol ordinance. She said the restaurant has hosted fundraisers for several organizations and causes, such as the School for Arts Infused Learning, breast cancer awareness, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Stay donates a portion of its food sales to these causes, but Hajek said the total sales aren’t reflected as income in her financial records.
Hajek asked commissioners to consider only full calendar years, not 2020 because it was a partial year, and Covid limited the business’s seating capacity.
Her accountant, Josue Garcia, offered to provide updated records to commissioners, but they expressed no interest in reviewing those records.
She said her updated records and a petition signed by more than 1,000 people, among other documents, will be submitted to the court. As a business owner, Hajek says she doesn’t have complete control over her sales numbers.
“I can’t tell my consumers how much to spend on food, and I can’t charge any less for alcohol,” Hajek said.
That’s partly because the technology used to pour beverages from its 41 taps, which serve either beer or wine, is very expensive. She says the county was well aware of the taps as a trendy draw
“I depend on those beer sales to pay my bills,” she said.
STAY’S CUSTOMERS
It was a busy Friday night and brought the return of two of the restaurant’s regular customers, Tim and Jessica Jenkins. They don’t want to see Renee’s place close. The couple has visited Stay just about every weekend since it opened in 2020.
“It doesn’t seem business-friendly,” Tim said. “I don’t see how that would help Columbia County.”
Wade Keefe is a first-timer and visited the restaurant Friday to support Hajek and enjoy a beer.
“I think it’s a great place, and it’s good for the area,” Keefe said.
FUNDRAISERS
To help cover Stay’s legal fees, the restaurant is holding multiple fundraisers. Donations can be made at https://fundrazr.com/625Wvd?ref=fb_0BokEf_ab_4T0mCi1TsZb4T0mCi1TsZb. As of yesterday evening, that page had raised $1,580.
Stay is also hosting an event on Saturday, Nov. 12, which will feature a barbecue from Atomic City Smokers, live music, kids’ crafts, and more. The link for that event is eventbrite.com/e/atomic-city-smokers-smokin-butts-for-stay-tickets-446129103157.
Hajek said she’s tentatively planning to bring in a Dave Matthews tribute band at the end of November. Hajek’s late husband and she were huge Dave Matthews’s fans and went to dozens of concerts together—and his songs and song titles served as the inspiration for part of the restaurant and bar concept.
