A. 1. If the premises of a licensee of the ABLE Commission contains a separate or enclosed lounge or bar area, which has as its main purpose the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption, notwithstanding that as an incidental service, meals or short order foods are made available therein, no person under twenty-one (21) years of age shall be admitted to such area, except for members of a musical band employed or hired as provided in paragraph 2 of Section 142 of this act when the band is to perform within such area, or persons under twenty-one (21) years of age who are on the licensed premises for the limited purpose of performing maintenance, construction, remodeling, painting or other similar services relating to the building or equipment installation, repair or maintenance on the premises during those hours when the licensed establishment is closed for business. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit persons under twenty-one (21) years of age from being admitted to an area which has as its main purpose some objective other than the sale or mixing or serving of alcoholic beverages, in which sales or serving of alcoholic beverages are incidental to the main purpose, as long as the persons under twenty-one (21) years of age are not sold or served alcoholic beverages. The incidental service of food in the bar area shall not exempt a licensee from the provisions of this section. The ABLE Commission shall have the authority to designate the portions of the premises of a licensee where persons under twenty-one (21) years of age shall not be admitted pursuant to this section. When determining a licensee’s main purpose, a licensee that operates a full kitchen, sells food items from a full menu, and has thirty-five percent (35%) or more of its monthly gross sales attributable to food items, shall have as its main purpose other than the sale of alcoholic beverages. The main purpose of those mixed beverage establishments whose main purpose was other than the sale of alcoholic beverages prior to October 1, 2018, shall not automatically lose that designation upon the elimination of low-point beer in the state. If the ABLE Commission wishes to change said mixed beverage establishments’ main purpose designation, it shall be the burden of the ABLE Commission to prove by clear and convincing evidence that said mixed beverage establishments no longer qualify for that designation.
2. A new licensee that claims as its main purpose some objective other than the sale of alcoholic beverages may be granted a separate or enclosed lounge or bar area for a period of ninety (90) days. At the end of that ninety-day period, the licensee shall have the burden of showing that the business continues to qualify for a separate or enclosed bar area. If the licensee fails to satisfy this burden, then that licensee's main purpose shall automatically convert to the sale of alcoholic beverages.
B. Except as otherwise provided, an admission charge shall not be considered in any calculation designed to determine the main purpose of an establishment pursuant to subsection A of this section. As used in this section, "admission charge" means any form of consideration received by an establishment from a person in order for that person to gain entrance into the establishment.
C. The provisions of subsection B of this section shall not apply:
1. If only persons eighteen (18) years of age or older are permitted to enter the licensed premises; provided, if the licensee is claiming an exception from the requirements of subsection B of this section pursuant to this paragraph and fails to restrict the entry by persons under age eighteen (18) into the licensed premises, the ABLE Commission shall designate that only persons twenty-one (21) years of age or older are allowed on the licensed premises;
2. If the licensed premises are owned or operated by a service organization or fraternal establishment which is exempt under Section 501(c)(19), (8), or (10) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
3. To a public event held in a facility owned or operated by any agency, political subdivision or public trust of this state.
D. The ABLE Commission shall promulgate rules necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
Added by Laws 2016, c. 366, § 154, eff. Oct. 1, 2018.
NOTE: Laws 2016, c. 366, was conditionally effective upon passage of State Question No. 792, Legislative Referendum No. 370, which was adopted at election held on Nov. 8, 2016.