MOBILE, AL. (WPMI) — Kawauna Gill and Tamara Coleman are turning a vacant Downtown Mobile building on North Jackson Street into an upscale bar and lounge called Kanary.
The two Mobilians will become the first African American Women to own a bar in Downtown Mobile. After six months of owning the building, their liquor license application is finally receiving the greenlight from the City of Mobile. They said it has been nothing but controversy from neighbors since then.
“They had all kinds of concerns that didn’t fit into our business plan,” Gill said.
City Councilman John Williams said the concern stems from the location’s former business. According to Mobile Police Department between 2013 and 2017 when the location was under different ownership as Tags Bar & Lounge police were called to location 43 times. Many of those calls were for loud noise.
“You can change the people, the locations continue to cause issues in the community,” Councilman Williams said.
Some of the complaints caused Mobile Planning Commission to place restrictions on Kanary’s hours of operation and capacity.
“One of the problems here is we are prejudging this business based on that another business in its location and that business didn’t get shut down for a nuisance,” Ricardo Woods, Mobile City Attorney said.
Woods said some of the complaints are racially charged. He read one to the city council.
“Why is there no entertainment zones on MLK Boulevard? Question, only white areas. Question, smacks of racism to me,” Ricardo read from a letter.
It led to a tense conversation today in Mobile City Council Meeting.
“That is very hurtful. That somebody would have the nerves to say to locate on MLK or Prichard. Who are you?” District 3 Councilman CJ Small said.
“Here we got African American females who want to locate a business here, flags going up. I say put the flags down. This is the entertainment district,” District 1 Councilman Fred Richardson said.
Both Councilmembers Williams and Bess Rich defended the concerns of neighbors despite those with racially charged complaints.
The owners of Kanary told NBC15, neighbors have even interrogated them, asking questions such as “are you a crackhead?”
“These business owners were asked if they used drugs and if they had criminal convictions and this when they met with some of the neighbors,” City Attorney Woods said.
The owners also said the neighborhood association near St. Louis in Downtown Mobile wanted them to sign a contract with the association outlining specific business restrictions.
Despite concerns, heated debates, and different opinions, Mobile City Council unanimously approved Kanary’s liquor license application. Owners of Kanary plans to open the bar and lounge by Thanksgiving. Kanary Bar is located at 105 North Jackson Street.
