A freshman lawmaker urged a House committee Wednesday to give legal precedence to the generations-old practice of enjoying a beer or glass of wine at barbershops and salons, but his last call for complimentary alcohol fell on deaf ears. Rep. Truck Gisclair, D-Larose, wanted the House Judiciary Committee to create a new liquor-license category for spas, barbershops, salons and similar establishments. “There are numerous salons, day spas and barbershops in Louisiana that give one complimentary drink to their clients as part of the overall service, and apparently there has been some conflicting issues with the (state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control) as to exactly how this type of service should be covered in the law,” Gisclair says.
The committee ended up killing House Bill 108 after several of its members requested clarifications from state officials as to whether the practice of handing out a single, complimentary alcoholic beverage was against the law. ATC Commissioner Murphy Painter refused to directly answer the question, explaining to lawmakers that his job was to interpret the laws they pass. But he did say that such establishments should be licensed.
Gisclair says that five other states have already passed similar laws, and local businesses are being forced to look over their shoulders out of fear of Painter’s office. Kevin Sevin of Larose told the committee that he operates 10 of those businesses, a chain known as “Just 4 Him” that offers one free beer per adult customer as well as soft drinks and bottled water to minors and any other patrons. Sevin says after advertising his business and the free beer, ATC agents visited his Baton Rouge location and served his business a citation. He contends he was unfairly targeted. “By limiting it to one (drink), it doesn’t turn into a barroom,” Sevin says. “We’re not in the bar business.”
Painter described Sevin and his wife, who co-founded the chain, as a “good entrepreneurs,” but added that he couldn’t endorse their business model. He also says there was a license that Sevin could currently apply for, but it would cost several hundred dollars. “Alcohol is a regulated commodity,” Painter says. “It’s not like water, soft drinks and everything else. It’s very complicated.”
