Sports bar opening at former Wings Cafe property can serve alcohol

A west Macon sports bar opening at the site of a former nightclub where a deadly gang shooting took place will be able to serve liquor.

The Macon-Bibb County Commission voted 7-2 Tuesday to grant the alcohol license for ESPOM Sports Bar & Cafe, which will be be located on the former Wings Cafe property. The vote came after meeting the new tenants who are leasing the property from the same owner of the Wings Cafe.

The Wings Cafe nightclub was closed after a December 2014 shooting left three people dead and others injured.

Anthony Stewart, who along with his wife, is now leasing the property, said the sports bar will attract a different clientele than the Wings nightclub did.

In a close vote Nov. 7, commissioners initially denied the license before re-voting to table the measure. Commissioners Bert Bivins and Al Tillman voted against the license on Tuesday.

“I’m aware of what happened and certainly sensitive of what happened, but this is not what we’re trying to present or have in this particular establishment,” Stewart said at Tuesday’s pre-commission meeting.

He later added, “What we’re trying to (have) is something along the lines of an Applebee’s, Dave & Busters environment where you could bring your children or even your grandmother.”

Tillman said coming up on the three year anniversary of the Wings Cafe shootings, it’s important business owners know criminal activity will not be tolerated.

“I think we have sent a strong message to business owners that you have to maintain your establishment,” he said. “This community and commission is not going to sit by idly and and allow deaths and murders and things that have happened in the past to continue to happen.

“This a good family,” he said about the Stewarts. “I just wish they had come along many years ago and perhaps we would not be in this situation.”

Commissioner Virgil Watkins said he has some reservations about a new restaurant opening at Wings, but doesn’t want a new business with new tenants from operating.

Commissioner Joe Allen said he was swayed to change his earlier vote after meeting the Stewarts and their children on Tuesday.

“Now that I know who you are, what you stand for and that you’re family oriented,” he said.

Sheriff David Davis recommended granting the alcohol license with the stipulation that his office would monitor the new business for a period of time.

Stewart said the plan is to have ESPOM open until 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and close at midnight on Fridays and Saturday.

ESPOM will be located at 2822 Bloomfield Drive, just south of Eisenhower Parkway.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners also approved:

▪  A letter of support for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s plans to build a roundabout at the Seven Bridges area.

The DOT is asking the county to pay for landscaping and maintenance costs after the roundabout is built. The traffic calming measure would be installed at the six-lane divided highway where Pio Nono Avenue, Broadway and Houston Avenue merge and flow into Houston Road.

The DOT is seeking federal funding to help cover the costs of the multilane roundabout.

▪  Using $415,000 of special sales tax bond proceeds for new lighting at the Macon Coliseum.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Sports bar opening at former Wings Cafe property can serve alcohol."