Coffee Pot Owner Talks About the Need to Sell Food

“It makes a big difference to the taste,” he said. “It takes a little bit of effort, you see,” and then he froze, bowed his head, and went quiet.

Approximately 30 seconds will pass.

“Sorry, this is hard for me,” Bell said, her eyes welling up. “I've never been in this position before.”

The Coffee Pot owner, in his 47th year, just paid a $1,000 fine for failing to meet federal food and beverage sales ratios for mixed drink restaurant licensees, a longtime tactic by states to try to thwart taverns by requiring significant amounts of food sales at establishments that also sell alcohol. He agreed to the fine after failing to maintain a 45 percent food and 55 percent beverage ratio, according to records made public by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department.

A bill that would have reduced restaurants' ingredient ratios to 35 percent died in the state Legislature this year. Mr. Bell had hoped the bill would pass, but said the fine was embarrassing. “I'm struggling, and I think most restaurants are,” said Mr. Bell, 77.

Difficulties facing restaurateurs include the cost of ingredients, labor and utilities, which the National Restaurant Association said pose a “significant challenge” to turning a profit.

Bell said that when he started there were only five or six establishments like his that offered live entertainment, but now “there's a lot of competition for entertainment dollars.”

Craft breweries, wineries and distilleries, which restaurants compete for customers in Virginia, are not serving food but are drawing large crowds and often hosting music. The Coffee Pot seats 400, but on busy days it draws 150 people.

Bell expressed confidence the rules would be followed, adding that the public could help by dining at the restaurant, located at 2902 Brambleton Road.

“I really rely on the community for their support in this,” he said. “Even during COVID, I worked hard for them.”

Bell said he operated like a small grocery store during the pandemic, selling meat, vegetables, toilet paper and other staples to the public at cost, with government permission. While other restaurants closed, “I stayed open,” he said.