SUMTER, S.C. — A Sumter bar has announced it's closing after the Sumter Police Department asked the South Carolina Department of Revenue to revoke it’s alcohol license.
Brewers Bar & Grill has been serving Sumter residents since 1998. But now its doors are closed and they will not be reopening.
"Used to be a really, really great but like a lot of establishments and went downhill pretty quick in the last I'd say eight years," Sumter resident Todd Reynolds says.
Reynolds tells me he used to visit brewers, but says he stopped going because he felt unsafe.
"It is sad," local DJ Amanda Mahaffey shares. "It breaks my heart because I've met a lot of good people there."
But Mahaffey has worked at Brewers, along with other Sumter bars, and says she’s never had an issue.
"I like Brewers. I’ve always felt fine in there. I've never felt threatened or anything," Mahaffey says. "It's kind of like everywhere I work. It's been like a family-oriented, like you feel like you're a family with these people once you get to know them and be friends. It's just awesome."
But now, owner Josh Peters has announced it’s officially closing after the Sumter Police Department has filed an affidavit with the South Carolina Department of Revenue to revoke the business’ alcohol license.
"I think they're doing what they have to do to make sure that the community stays safe," Reynolds says about law enforcement's response.
This comes after a man was fatally shot over the weekend — the most recent in a series of incidents. According to Sumter PD, there have been 83 calls for service at the bar since January 2021.
At least 32 calls resulted in a reported incident, including: a homicide, two attempted murders, two domestic violence cases and 15 assault and battery incidents, according to records.
In a statement, Peters says the decision to close is based on a “deep respect” to the city and to “provide calm to what is an already volatile situation.”
"This last tragic event had nothing to do with Brewers which happened outside of our walls and out of our control, nevertheless we still mourn," Peters writes in the statement. "We fully understand and respect the opinions of the community; however, we believe that this tragic event was inevitable, regardless of its location."
"Sumter is our home. We genuinely appreciate the voices of support and respect those of concern. After much thought, we believe the divisiveness on this matter is hurting our community and moving forward, we have decided to voluntarily close our doors," the statement continues. "Our decision is solely based on a deep respect to our city and to provide calm to what is an already volatile situation."
News19 reached out to the South Carolina Department of Revenue, which says it is still investigating the incident at Brewers to determine the appropriate course of action.
While the Department of Revenue could not comment on this case directly, it says generally, it will work with law enforcement — including South Carolina Law Enforcement Division — to determine if the licensee has violated and laws or regulations.