Dixie Cafe owner announces plan to obtain alcohol licnese

A long-time downtown Corbin icon may be serving more than just chili-dogs and hamburgers soon.Marsha Trosper, owner of The Dixie Cafe, said she plans to apply for a local liquor license in the near future. If the application is successful, the restaurant would likely be the seventh in the city to serve alcohol since a by-the-drink referendum got approval from Corbin voters in 2003.
But unlike other restaurants who clamored for the chance to sell beer, wine and mixed-drinks, Trosper said she’s approached the idea more hesitantly.
“I didn’t really want to do it to be perfectly honest,” Trosper said. “I thought that if I didn’t serve, I would actually get more of the people that didn’t want alcohol in town. Since they do [want it], I’m going to have to go with the flow.”
Trosper has owned the venerable eatery for eight years. In late 2003, the cafe underwent significant renovations that cost about $70,000. The remodeling expanded the seating area and completely moved the kitchen. With more seating, The Dixie should easily meet seating requirements necessary to obtain a license. Restaurants that want to sell alcohol must seat at least 100 patrons and meet square footage guidelines.
“I think that the things we will have to do are probably very minimal.”
Trosper said she’s seeking the license to help make up for business The Dixie has lost to restaurants in town that do serve alcohol. In another move, she said she plans to change the restaurant’s hours to 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. in order to accommodate a waning breakfast crowd and to serve regular dinners. Currently, The Dixie opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m., except on Fridays when it closes at 9:00 p.m. Trosper said regular fish dinners on Friday evenings has been quite popular.
The Dixie’s alcohol plans aren’t as ambitious as other local restaurants. Trosper said she doesn’t plan to install a bar and won’t serve liquor.
“I’d like to do just beer, maybe some wine coolers and maybe have a little bit of wine on hand,” she said. “I don’t want any liquor and I’m not going to have a bar.”
She said all the beer served will be bottled and only at the tables.
Restaurants seeking a liquor license must submit a seating plan to city officials and undergo inspections by the local building inspector, fire chief and Alcohol Beverage Control Administrator. The State Fire Marshall’s Office also must inspect before a state license is issued.
An intent to serve must be published in the local newspaper of record 30 days before a restaurant offers alcohol.
Last year marked the 75th anniversary of The Dixie’s initial opening. Terrell Halcomb started what is now the Dixie in 1929. Originally it was called The Dixie Billiard Parlor. It moved a decade later, in a single night, to its current location just across the street from where it started.