Moviegoers at AMC’s Buckhead Backlot may soon be able to have a martini with their movie.
And, those who have passed by Grape in Phipps Plaza because they would rather have a beer than a glass of wine, may soon have a choice between a merlot or a light beer.
Both American Multi-Cinema, Inc. and The Grape at Phipps, LLC came before the Public Safety Committee of Neighborhood Planning Unit-B April with applications for changes in their alcoholic beverage licenses. And, neither application was an April fool’s joke.
AMC’s Buckhead Backlot, 3340 Peachtree Rd., already offers food, wine and beer with its movies. But now it has applied to modify its license to include “distilled spirits” — hard liquor and mixed drinks in the parlance of the common man. The application was approved April 1 by NPU-B and will go before Atlanta’s License Review Board at 5 p.m. on April 22 at Atlanta City Hall.
A few theaters in metro Atlanta offer wine and beer, but liquor sales at theaters is a rarity.
Following the theater request was an application from The Grape at Phipps to also modify its license — to add beer to its vast offerings of wines.
Although there were only a joke or two at the NPU-B meeting about changing the name to something like “Grape and Hops” there was a serious mention of the fact the owners of The Grape feel they are missing out on some customers — maybe men more than women — because of not offering beer on their menu along with their standard wine and food items.
In fact one NPU-B board member, who frequents The Grape, said she has a friend who has not been able to join she and her husband there, because he is only allowed to drink a certain light beer.
The Grape’s application also was approved by NPU-B and now also goes before the License Review Board.
–John Schaffner