City Council To Consider Cracker Barrel Liquor License Next Week

The Tuscaloosa City Council unanimously approved the motion to table a request for a liquor license for the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store just off Skyland Boulevard until next week.

The motion was initially proposed to be tabled indefinitely in order for the parent company to address the Council itself, as the license request was filed under Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. directly, rather than any local franchisee.

The license application comes amid Cracker Barrel's push to add alcohol to the menu of over 600 locations across the country but hit a snag here in Tuscaloosa, because the Council wasn't able to hear from any company representatives in Tuesday's public hearing for the Restaurant Retail Liquor License - no local or company spokesperson could attend the meeting, even with the City's new COVID restrictions shifting all business to virtual.

Vincent Brown, Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer for Tuscaloosa, said he had reached out to the restaurant's representatives and believed a local and district manager would attend the remote meeting.

"I did send the link to the attorney's office in Mobile, spoke with their secretary who was also going to give them the message and sent a link also to someone listed on the application with the company. I did not get a response back from either," Brown said.

The Council moved to table the discussion indefinitely until City Attorney Glenda Webb suggested only tabling the request until next Tuesday's regular City Council meeting, when a representative from Cracker Barrel can hopefully to be present.

The license will be up for discussion again on December 15th at 6 p.m.

Watch the full City Council meeting here: