Erin Hall, Columbia County licensing manager, said restaurants must hold both a business license and a separate alcohol license to sell alcohol in the county. "If you are selling or serving alcohol at a specific location, you do have to have a temporary event permit for that," Hall said when explaining temporary permits for single events.

Hall described the permanent alcohol-license application as more intensive than a business license: applicants undergo a background check and a public-notification process. "There's actually a yellow placard that's put outside of your business so that the public will know you're applying," Hall said. That placard must remain for 30 days and the application requires three advertisements in the Augusta Chronicle; permanent alcohol licenses are decided by the Board of Commissioners and the process typically takes about 45 to 60 days, Hall said.

For single-location events such as county concerts or wedding venues, the licensing office issues temporary alcoholic beverage permits that allow alcohol sales or service only at that event and location. Hall said the county issues temporary permits for community events including the Evans Market.

Hall also said Columbia County collects a 3% monthly excise tax on distilled spirits sold by restaurants. "Our restaurants in Columbia County who serve distilled spirits pay a 3% excise tax monthly on the distilled spirits that they sell," she said.

Hall advised applicants to plan ahead because of the notice and review periods and to expect the permanent-license review to take roughly one to two months.