Arkansas Restaurateur: Racism Led To Permit Denial

John Lyon, Arkansas News Bureau

- The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Wednesday denied an application for a permit to serve mixed drinks at a planned Fort Smith restaurant whose owner claimed racism was behind police opposition to his application.

The board voted 4-1 to uphold ABC Director Michael Langley’s denial in April of a restaurant mixed drink permit for K.W.’s Club on Midland Boulevard, owned by Kenneth W. Rogers.

Rogers said he previously owned a club in the same location as K.W.’s Club, and that it was never fined by the city or the state during the six years it was open. He broke into tears as he told the board he believed Fort Smith police unfairly targeted him because he wants to open a black club.

“We have no place to go, and if it’s left up to the police, we won’t ever have a place to go,” he said.

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