Fulton Judge Overrules Atlanta Mayor, Grants Liquor License to Ink Lounge

A Fulton County Superior Court Judge ruled earlier this month that a business off Cheshire Bridge Road was wrongfully denied a liquor license.

The ruling overturns the decision by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in February to deny a liquor license to Ink Lounge, a bar connected with a luxury tattoo and hair salon.

“All of the evidence showed that it was undisputed that we had met the requirements,” Logan Winkles, the lawyer for the owners of Ink Lounge, told Patch.

Winkles said city officials are required to sign off on an application that meets all the requirements, despite any other factors in play.

Ink Lounge is a sister company of , which includes a luxury tattoo parlor and hair salon. All three businesses operate out of the same building at 1878 Piedmont Avenue at the intersection of Cheshire Bridge Road.

The neighborhood group that oversees liquor license applications in the area recommended in November 2011 to deny the application because residents were concerned about the lounge and tattoo parlor being in the same building, among other issues.

After a business owner files a liquor license application, the owner presents the application to the neighborhood civic association, the neighborhood planning unit and the license review board, which is run by the Atlanta police department.

If the neighborhood groups deny the license, the applicant still continues forward to the license review board.

The final step for approval or denial rests in the hands of the Mayor.

A spokesperson for Reed had no comment on the ruling. It’s unclear if a Fulton County judge has overturned a liquor license dispute in recent history.

Ink Lounge is expected to open in early May.

Do you support granting Ink Lounge a liquor license? Share your opinion in the comments.

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