F.W. Sullivans Owner Pleads Case To Local Newspaper

Correction: The fight outside of F.W. Sullivans happened Saturday morning. Earlier versions of this story had the wrong day.

The owner ofon William Street downtown wrote an email to Free-Lance Star reporter Bill Freehling that addresses some of the problems at his restaurant that have put him in an uncomfortable spotlight.

The most-recent incident was Saturday morning when two people were thrown through the restaurant's front window over a fight about loyalties to NFL football teams. Only one person was arrested, a man from Tennessee, who police charged with felony destruction of property.

Owner Hayden Fisher's email states that the man who police arrested ordered a Jack and Coke but the bartender realized he was intoxicated and told the other bartenders to stop serving him. Fisher said that the guy didn't cause any trouble because security was focusing on him and when the bar closed he went outside and that is where the fight started.

Fisher said F.W. Sullivans has never had an ABC violation at either its Fredericksburg or Richmond locations and none of the 10 police calls to the restaurant since Dec. 4, 2011, were for drug use or drug dealing. Fisher said F.W. Sullivans raises money for local charities and buys food from the local butcher. He said his restaurant is doing well after three other businesses failed to survive at this same location at 409 William St.

F.W. Sullivans representative were scheduled to meet with the police department soon, possibly on Feb. 2. City Council has put the restaurant on the nuisance ordinance radar and has asked the city attorney to investigate if it is possible to not pay some or all of the incentives it approved last year worth up to $100,000 over 10 years if the company meets sales goals.

Fisher's full response is on the FLS website.

What do you think about Fisher's comments? Do you think the city needs to address violence at downtown bars?