City OKs on-premises beer permit for ‘pub bar’ at pickleball facility

By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

The Elizabethton Beverage Board on Thursday night approved an on-premises beer permit for Courtside Pub LLC, which will operate inside E-Town Pickleball, 175 Hudson Drive.

City Attorney Roger Day said when the application first came in, there was a question as to whether the license could be granted to a pickleball court. The city code only allows on-premises permits to be issued to restaurants, clubs, microbreweries, breweries, a “pub bar,” and the Joe O’Brien Baseball Field.

According to its website, E-Town Pickleball is a member-only pickleball facility that also offers “Pay as you Play without the full benefit of monthly membership.” There are monthly individual, couple, and family membership options. The facility is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

E-Town Pickleball LLC was formed in March 2023 by Zoerb, who was at the meeting with attorney Sam LaPorte. Zoerb formed Courtside Pub LLC in September 2023.

Councilman Michael G. Simerly asked whether the application met all of the city statutes for an on-premises permit.

“As a ‘pub bar,’ I think it meets all of those,” Day said. “In fact, once Mr. LaPorte got involved and assisted this lady with it, it went through without a problem,” Day said, explaining that when Zoerb formed a new limited liability corporation it helped solve a problem.

“Whoever wrote that statute deserves some kind of award for writing the most difficult statute I’ve ever in my life seen,” LaPorte said. “We think we are in compliance and we’ll do anything the city wants to work on it.”

Under city code, a “pub bar” is defined as an establishment that sells only fermented alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, cider, or mead, for on- or off-premises consumption and where at least 80 percent of the alcoholic beverages for sale must come from a microbrewery or micro-winery.

The permit was approved by unanimous vote.

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