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There is a new Wing Stop in Cedar Park located at 183 and 1431 on the corner with the WalMart. I went in there this evening with my son and noticed a 51% sign from the car and followed that requirement. As I got in to the establishment, I looked around and thought there was no way that the 51% was accurate so I checked their TABC permit... "Sign=blue". They had the wrong signs posted. I informed the employee and she was going to let the owner know. I'll give them a couple of days to get it corrected, but if they don't I'll let TABC know to send them the correct signs.

Good job!

The employee didn't seem concerned either way, but was surprised that I was checking. They sold a grand total of 1 beer while I was there, so I am sure the under 51% is the correct one.

Found another one today - I had thought it was wrong for a while but I just verified the license today.

Jardin Corona in Cedar Park is sign=blue, but has the 51% posting.

Kalrog wrote:Found another one today - I had thought it was wrong for a while but I just verified the license today.

Jardin Corona in Cedar Park is sign=blue, but has the 51% posting.

I noticed that one several months ago, posted on a wall in the dining area off to the right. I only saw it after we were seated. The place is obviously a restaurant and does not make even close to 51% of their income from alcohol, so I disregarded it as an incorrect posting and kept my carry with me. Were you able to talk to management about it?

Silence is Golden.

NcongruNt wrote:Were you able to talk to management about it?

I was not able to talk to management about it, but I did verify it with the TABC license up by the cash register at the front. But the Wing Stop that originally started this thread hasn't changed signs yet so I am going to let TABC handle all of them at once.

I just got a brief update from the regional supervisor - my inquiry will be checked out in the next couple of weeks. We will see what they say.

I apologize if this has been answered before, but how do you check somebody's TABC permit (over/under 50%)? It would be useful to know whether or not I can carry BEFORE I leave the house.

Dan wrote:I apologize if this has been answered before, but how do you check somebody's TABC permit (over/under 50%)? It would be useful to know whether or not I can carry BEFORE I leave the house.

It is supposed to be in full view of the public.

Liberty wrote:

Dan wrote:I apologize if this has been answered before, but how do you check somebody's TABC permit (over/under 50%)? It would be useful to know whether or not I can carry BEFORE I leave the house.

It is supposed to be in full view of the public.

There are a couple of things. First you can go online and check at their website (TABC's), but the search feature isn't all that good. At least it wasn't the last time I checked. But then when you are at the establishment, you can check their TABC license for a "Sign=BLUE" or "Sign=RED" at the bottom of it. Blue = less than 51%. Red = 51% or more.

Pretty good rule of thumb is that if an establishment advertises itself as a restaraunt, you're in the clear even if they serve alcohol. I don't know of any restaraunt that also serves alcohol that makes more money off of alcohol than off of food. If the name of the establishment has "bar" or "pub" or "club" in it, and they don't primarily serve food (like Chili's Bar & Grill does), then I stay out even if it's not posted with the sign. It's pretty common sense.

Checking the license hanging up is the best bet. The law does not state that the 51% sign is what forbids us from entering; it's the fact that they derive 51% or more of their revenue from alcohol. The sign is supposed to tell us this, and while businesses are supposed to post the correct sign, there's really nothing that stops them from posting an incorrect sign unless TABC gets involved. I ignore any 51% signs until I see their license and am able to verify it myself. We're not supposed to automatically and intuitively know where they get their revenue and if they're off limits until we see their license.

Liberty wrote:

Dan wrote:I apologize if this has been answered before, but how do you check somebody's TABC permit (over/under 50%)? It would be useful to know whether or not I can carry BEFORE I leave the house.

It is supposed to be in full view of the public.

Maybe not in full view from his house.

Thanks for the info guys. I was mainly wondering about a pool hall I visit pseudo-frequently. I'll know what to look for next time I go.

The best way is to check the license itself, as stated. The second best way is only partially definitive. If you go to the main tabc web site, there is a database there named the public inquiry system. You can search any county for all licensees there. The definitive answer is that any license which shows a food and beverage certificate (listed as FB under subordinate licenses) cannot possibly be a 51% establishment. The problem is that the lack of this does not indicate anything at all about it being 51 or not.

A third way is to call the local TABC office and ask them to check the license in their computers. Most of the time, they will not have a problem doing this and can give you the answer. Sometimes, they will be busy or the computer will be down and you might not get an answer right away. They should have no problem calling you back with the correct answer when they can get it.