By Ben Nunnally
Only a half a year ago, getting a bottle of beer
in a bar in Anniston would’ve been a tall order.
Since May, Sunday alcohol sales have been legal in Anniston, and legal in Weaver since June.
Not surprisingly, the change has translated into
bigger sales numbers for local restaurants and
bars that were already open but not serving
alcohol, and also for alcohol-based establishments like the Wine Cellar and Tyson’s.
“Anything we do on Sunday now is better than we
did before, definitely,” says Marc Spaulding, owner of
Heroes Grille in Weaver. Heroes started their Sunday
sales on Aug. 4 after being annexed into Weaver. Previously, the restaurant was technically in Jacksonville,
which remains dry on Sundays.
“People used to go to Birmingham to watch football
games and drink. Now they’re coming here,” he says.
He invested in NFL Sunday Ticket to show on the
18 HDTVs around the restaurant and started selling
wings on special, which he says has been extremely
popular, keeping the place packed on Sundays.
“Everybody really wanted to spend their money [in
the area], but couldn’t,” he continued.
Councilman Seyram Selase of Anniston was instrumental in the approval of Sunday alcohol sales; he
considered it an investment in future tourism to Anniston and the Calhoun County area.
“not just for people to drink on Sundays but to increase what we’re calling ‘eco-tourism.’”
Eco-tourism, he explains, is a meshing of economics
and the creation of a welcoming environment for Anniston. Becoming a bike-friendly city, full of people
who enjoy outdoor activities from cities all over the
country, who may want to have a beer after they’ve
finished blazing through the local trails.
“A good number of people coming into town want to
have a drink,” he says.
Others consider Sunday alcohol sales to be a step in
the right direction, but not a final answer.
Dave Mogil, owner of Damn Yankees Steak/Fish & Oyster Bar in Anniston wants to see more festivals and
events geared around Sundays.
“No one’s making use of it for downtown street festivals,” says Mogil. “You need to organize things to do
that are fun for people who are already out eating and
having a good time.” He suggests stretching the Noble Street Festival over two days, and creating more
big events like the Rumble on Noble on Sundays.
Alcohol sales are still fairly new in Anniston, though,
so it may be too early to expect that their are no plans
to make use of Sunday for festivals or events as of now.
“We have a lot more plans,” says Selase. “You’re going
to see a whole lot more in the future.” •
“It’s been a wonderful asset for our city,” says Selase,
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October 2013
INSIGHT