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Beer board pauses Latin Drinks permit amid trailer, inspection and ABC questions
Summary
The board continued consideration of a beer permit for Latin Drinks after learning the applicant plans to serve from a trailer rather than the building on the site; staff said building permits existed but inspections and health/ABC approvals were unresolved.
The Shelbyville Beer Board on Wednesday deferred final action on an application by the operator of Latin Drinks at 124 Sunlight Road after members and staff raised questions about whether the proposed sales would come from a permanent, inspected structure or from a trailer on the site.
Jamie Favara and other representatives for the applicant told the board the business has building plans and a building permit but that the operator planned to use a trailer that had passed a health inspection rather than fully constructing the sinks, drainage and related infrastructure inside the permanent structure. City staff and the board said they had not received evidence that the city’s building inspections were complete for the permanent structure.
City staff said they had spoken with Jeremy Williams, a health inspector, and with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and reported the commission typically does not permit food trucks to serve alcohol except under specific catering permits or when attached to a freestanding brick‑and‑mortar location. A staff member told the board, "They don't normally permit food trucks for alcohol … unless you have a catering permit and actual freestanding brick and mortar building." The board said the trailer raised a different set of legal and operational questions than the previously presented plan.
Members asked planning and codes staff whether any submitted plans explicitly contemplated a trailer; staff said they had not seen trailer permits or inspections tied to the current building permit and that inspections occur only after the applicant requests them. Staff advised the applicant to request inspections and bring documentation to the next meeting.
A motion to postpone final consideration to the next monthly meeting carried on a voice vote: "Aye." The board asked the applicant to provide evidence of completed city inspections, health‑department approvals for the trailer or food truck operation, and documentation clarifying whether alcohol sales will be limited to a fixed, permanent location on site.
Board members and staff stressed that, if approved, the beer permit would be tied to the physical location inspected and approved; they cautioned that moving a trailer from the approved address would raise compliance issues with local code and state alcohol regulations.
The board set the matter for further review at the next meeting and instructed staff to consult with the codes director and the health department on the trailer’s permissibility and any required permits.
