Clubgoers attend a dance-night event at the Valarium.
The website for local venues the Valarium and CiderHouse, 112 Ramsey St., has announced their closing.
In a note on the homepage of the site, Valarium and CiderHouse "will cease operation on November 25th."
The site says, "Due to new rule changes from the TN Alcoholic Beverage Commission concerning the minimum percentage of food an establishment must sell in relation to its gross sales, our venues will be closing. We also cannot comply with the minimum number of days they require us to be open per week. Since we cannot meet their requirements, we will relinquish and not renew our ABC license when it expires November 24th, 2012."
The explanation goes on: "We have never received any citations for over serving or serving an underage. However, we have been told we will be fined, prosecuted, or subject to revocation procedure for not serving enough food. They do not recognize the fact that we are a big, fast-paced venue where people come to see shows, dance, drink and socialize on a large scale, not to eat dinner. This is as unreasonable as them passing a law stating that all restaurants must install a stage and dance floor.
"Also, we cannot comply with the minimum number of days they require us to be open. Good business practices dictate that you don’t open when it’s not viable. Opening for the sake of just being open forces you to offer drink specials, steep discounts, ridiculous contests, and promotions that may encourage over serving. If the primary mission statement of the TN ABC is to promote temperance, what could be more temperate than not opening on off nights? We are not aware of any other state that has these rules.
"As it happens, the timing of our license renewal date puts us in the forefront of any enforcement action. Our attorneys predict that a large portion of the nightclub venue licensees in TN will not be able to comply with these regulations. However, on their advice, our only recourse is to relinquish our license when it expires on November 24th, 2012."
The site says regular Saturday dance night "Taboo" will be the last event at Valarium on Nov. 24.
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Comments » 4
ORboy writes:
So how do the Bijou and the Tennessee Theaters serve wine and beer at their shows without violating these ABC rules. They don't serve any food and are only open for concerts, maybe one or two nights a week.
easybeinggreen writes:
I think the food and drink are catered.
Debt writes:
This is excellent news to me. I hated that craphole of a place. They should have never left Tonic/Fiction.
I have a gigantic smile ever since I heard this! :)
max0032 writes:
Smiling that Knoxville is LOSING a viable entertainment venue. This place has successfully hosted EDM, Hip-Hop,and Rock shows that can't work at any other venue in Knoxville. Way to go Debt...that's that good attitude that continues to make Knoxville worse...
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