The Thomas Smyrna Beer Board on Aug. 11 approved an on-premise beer permit for Giorgio’s Pizza LLC after a public hearing during which the restaurant’s owner described hours, staffing and how it would handle age verification.

Adnan Hassan, owner of Giorgio’s Pizza LLC, told the board he operates the restaurant at 901 Rock Springs Road, Suite 145, and that the business applied for a permit to sell beer only. “It’s gonna be just beer,” Hassan said. He told the board the restaurant will sell bottled beer over the counter, not draft, and that he and his wife will handle any beer sales until a manager is hired.

The board’s discussion focused on staff age, ID checks and compliance with state rules. A board member asked whether employees under 18 could handle money for beer sales; a staff member referenced state law and ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) requirements, saying, “No one under the age of 18 should be involved in the sale, storage, distribution, or manufacturer of beer.” The staff member advised that an underage employee could not complete a beer sale and that an adult—Hassan or his wife—would have to finish the transaction.

Hassan said the restaurant currently is family-run, with five front-of-house staff including himself, his wife, his son and two young women; his son is under 18 but expected to turn 18 next October. Hassan said the under-18 employees would take orders only and would not serve or handle beer. “Nobody will take beer order or serve beer unless it’s me or my wife or someone else who’s gonna be above 21 years old,” he said.

Board members and staff also discussed servers’ required training. One board member noted that servers will need to complete the state’s alcohol-server training (ABC class) to be authorized to serve alcohol.

A motion to approve the on-premise permit application was made and seconded; the board approved the permit by voice vote. The board told Hassan to submit a manager application if he hires a new manager. Board members told Hassan the permit would be available for pickup after 10 a.m. the following day.

Why it matters: An on-premise beer permit changes how a restaurant operates and creates additional compliance obligations for staffing and training; the board’s discussion emphasized state ABC rules and the need to ensure underage employees do not handle beer sales.

Background and details: Hassan said Giorgio’s Pizza will be open six days a week, generally from about 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Mondays, and will sell bottled beer for on-premise consumption. He said he is seeking to “revive the business” and plans to hire a manager and additional staff. The board did not require any conditions beyond standard state and local compliance, and the board clerk/staff confirmed approval procedures and pickup time for the permit.

The board closed the public hearing and proceeded to other business; no additional conditions or objections were recorded on the permit approval.