Greenville bar Blind Horse Saloon closes: What to know about SC liquor liability insurance
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South Carolina's liquor liability laws have caused a popular country music venue in Greenville to close its doors, leaving many regulars wondering where they will go on Wednesday nights for fun.
On Tuesday, May 14, Blind Horse Saloon announced in a social media post that it would be closing, effective immediately. The saloon has operated for 29 years and has hosted a variety of country musicians in the past. Country star Blake Shelton is one of them, who made many stops at the saloon throughout his career. He has also shown much love and praise for the venue.
"I've been coming to Greenville since 2001, back at the Blind Horse, man," Shelton said during his Bon Secours Arena concert back in 2019. "I dreamed of the day I'd be playing a place like this. But we are not going to do this concert unless we do a bunch of drinking songs. This is country music."
Blind Horse Saloon is not the only local entertainment venue that has been forced to close its doors recently due to rising liability insurance costs. Last June, Smiley's Acoustic Cafe closed. The following month, Rotties 221 Biergarten also shut down.
Closures have left many local musicians struggling to find work in Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg.
What are SC's liquor liability insurance laws?
SC law requires businesses with an alcohol license that sell alcohol after 5 p.m. to maintain liquor liability insurance of at least $1 million, according to previous Greenville News coverage. In 2017, the law passed, requiring business to pay for damages suffered by victims of alcohol-related accidents.
The law was enacted following a fatal DUI crash in 2014 when neither the accused nor the bars she went to had insurance.
Data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2021 states that alcohol-related deaths increased 26% between 2020 and 2021 after increasing by 14% the previous year. In 2020, the state saw a hike in fatalities, from 319 in 2020 to 401 in 2021.
Who are advocacy group SC Venue Crisis?
SC Venue Crisis is a recently formed advocacy group that is raising awareness about the insurance increases, which threaten the livelihood of the local music scene. The group raises awareness through social media and town halls held at bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues all across S.C.
Brittany Brandt, a researcher for the group in Spartanburg, spoke to the Greenville News about the issue in previous coverage.
"People focus a lot on alcohol, but ... this is about restaurants. This is about small businesses, anyone that can be affected," she said.
In time, Brandt and the group hope their efforts will spark positive change, especially for those who rely on the local music scene for work.
"That affects jobs, countless jobs, and our tourism," said Brandt. "There's not going to be a thing that it doesn't touch."
Community reacts on social media to Blind Horse's closure
Blind Horse's closure announcement on social media is addressed to customers and reads as follows:
"Due to the South Carolina liquor insurance requirements we are regrettably having to close our doors...effective immediately. It has been a wonderful 29 years. Thank you!"
On Facebook, the post has received much attention, with over 3,400 reactions and 2,600 comments from users. The post has been shared a total of 6,400 times.
Facebook users expressed their thoughts on the closure, with many of them sharing memories among each other of great times spent at the saloon. One user commented on the free Wednesday night dance lessons offered by the saloon.
"Made some of my best friends and discovered my love for dance here. Thanks for the memories BHO." she said.
Another user, who was employed by the saloon, also shared their appreciation for the lifelong friends made along the way.
"Couldn't be more grateful for the last 4 years of employment. Have met so many amazing people and made lifelong friends." the user said. "The memories I have will truly cherish forever. Thank you to our regulars who have been SO good to us over the years - your Blindhorse family will miss you. Cheers friends!"
Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Blind Horse Saloon in Greenville closes: SC liquor liability insurance
