Marion County Alcohol Board grants one‑year renewal to troubled Guilford Avenue bar, approves dozens of transfers and renewals

The Marion County Local Alcoholic Beverage Board on Monday, Aug. 4, approved a one‑year renewal for 317 Barbecue LLC at 6320 Guilford Avenue and voted to grant a range of other renewals and transfers while continuing several applications to a later date.

The board said it took the extended Guilford Avenue case under advisement after hearing months of incident reports tied to the property and detailed testimony from the permit holder about changes intended to curb problems. The board approved a one‑year renewal — a shorter term than the board’s typical renewals — to allow staff and police to monitor whether the new measures reduce calls for service.

Board President Tyler Graves and excise officer and secretary Amy Sounier presided over a docket that ran through new permits, transfers, routine renewals and several contested matters. Representatives from the city of Lawrence and the city of Indianapolis — Jim Hennigan and Peter Luster, respectively — appeared for the meeting.

Why it matters: The board’s one‑year renewal for 317 Barbecue places a conditional, time‑limited reprieve on a permit that has been associated with multiple police runs and a high number of complaints. The board said the shorter renewal gives enforcement and the district police a chance to verify whether changes described by the owner have materially reduced public‑safety risks.

Most important facts

• 317 Barbecue: After a lengthy hearing in which the owner and counsel described capital investments and new security measures, the board voted to renew the permit for one year. The board cited repeated calls for police and prior violations as the reason for the shortened renewal. The owner described additions including on‑site private security, an off‑duty Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer contracted to patrol the parking lot, and new camera systems. The owner told the board these combined measures and operational changes have reduced calls for service since March.

• Enforcement pattern: The board reviewed multiple pockets of enforcement work across the docket. Several license holders appeared because of compliance‑check failures or other violations (including sales to a minor and missing employee permits). In many of those matters the board…