Metro Nashville Beer Board: Back to the Future

We hear it all the time. When you ask a state or city official why something is done a particular way, you often hear: "Because it's always been done that way."

Eons ago, someone devised a form beer application that is used by lots of beer boards, including, until recently, the Metro Nashville Beer Board. We have found that the form is a model for creating confusion for business owners.

Abandoning more than two decades of tradition, the Metro Beer Board recently approved a new simplified form for beer applications. It is available as a writable PDF.

Mayor Karl Dean has filled a number of beer board appointments with members of the local business community. Dean appointee Brian Taylor comments: "Nashville is a business friendly city and although there are laws that are antiquated and that the Beer Board cannot itself change, the Metro Beer Board is making strides toward simplifying the process for those restaurants and bars looking to open in Nashville. The new application is a big step forward."

We applaud the board for making the beer application process more friendly to business owners.