One month after making the motion to allow city-wide video gaming, Greenville City Councilman Kenny Hampton is asking for the discussion to be re-opened.
At their June meeting, the council voted 4-1 to allow gaming anywhere in the city of Greenville. The city then received a liquor license application for a gaming café to open where the Bond & Fayette County Shopper currently stands. The request was from RVE, a company owned by Robert and Vicki Ellsworth. Vicki Ellsworth was at Tuesday night’s city council meeting and answered multiple questions from council members about the proposed business.
Ellsworth said their plan is to open an upscale gaming café that caters to 40-plus year old women and does not admit anyone under the age of 21. Ellsworth said the establishment will not be a bar, but a gaming café that will serve food as well. However, under current state laws a business must first have a liquor license before they can obtain a gaming license.
Hampton said he had never considered a gaming café when he made the motion to allow city-wide gaming. Mayor Alan Gaffner said he would rather see a business like the gaming café on the square when compared to a bar. Ellsworth said they own the building, which is one of the main reasons they choose the square as the location for the proposed business.
The liquor license was not issued to RVE and the council tabled the matter until the August meeting.
