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The Mobile City Council will decide next week on the fate of a popular, but troubled, Black-owned bar. Phat Tuesday Sports Bar, located on St. Stephens Road, has been the source of repeated problems over the past year, and city authorities want it shut down. However, some council members on Tuesday requested more information from police about the number of arrests, the types of calls made to the bar, and the hours during which the incidents occurred. The council expects to receive the information this week before making a final decision on Phat Tuesday’s fate. “The establishment is more than a bar, it’s where we come to feel safe and it’s our home,” said LaKeisha Clements, who spoke in support of the bar and urged council members not to revoke its business license. During last week’s council meeting, Mobile police said Phat Tuesday presents a public safety issue and strains police resources, particularly on weekend nights, when alcohol is reportedly served well past the 2 a.m. closing time. “They’ve created an atmosphere that is untenable to the neighbors,” said Rob Lasky, the city’s executive director of public safety. The bar has been the subject of 100 police calls over the past year, including incidents involving shootings, fights, drugs and domestic disputes. Tensions peaked Aug. 31, when a Mobile police officer was nearly shot in the head during a confrontation at the bar. Police said issues dating back to 2022 involve crowds spilling into adjacent parking lots, creating an unsafe environment. Despite the concerns, the bar has supporters, particularly for owner Rick Johnson. He is described as a responsible business owner who contributes to local causes and hosts an annual Easter egg hunt. Clements argued that many of the accusations against Johnson and the bar amount to “hearsay” and are not tied to specific arrests inside the establishment. Johnson’s attorney said the problems stem from people gathering in nearby parking lots, not from activities inside the bar itself. Council President C.J. Small and Councilman William Carroll requested additional information, including when the incidents occurred and whether arrests were made inside the bar or in surrounding areas. Authorities said most of the 100 calls to Phat Tuesday occurred between 1 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Some council members suggested placing restrictions on the bar rather than fully revoking its license. “Perhaps we make changes in hours of operation to curb the issues we’re hearing and seeing,” said Councilwoman Gina Gregory, who asked whether alternatives exist to an “all-out closure” of the bar. Councilman Josh Woods said the decision to revoke a business license is not one he takes lightly. “I definitely think the ability to operate a business and fulfill the dreams you have for a business, that is a key to the country and every right we have,” Woods said. “Whether to revoke a business license weighs heavily on me.” Other council members said concerns raised by nearby residents about crime and disorder should not be ignored. “No one in this city should live in fear in their own homes or what is happening outside their door based on someone’s issues and actions,” Carroll said. “There has to be consequences on what is happening and ongoing on a continuing basis.”
