Tom Sponseller Quotations

Now, the economy will be stronger in the summer statewide.

If they've got problems with bad bars, there are ways to close them. All you've got to do is send law enforcement in one night and find somebody drinking underage. Three or four of those, and the guy's lost his license. Why make everybody pay for a couple of bad apples?

If other states pass the right form of the bill, it's pushing people to us. It would subject South Carolina restaurants to something nobody else has to do.

I don't think you'll see very many bars immediately going out and start cracking big bottles. They've got an inventory of little bottles they've got to get rid of first, and the only way they can get rid of them is to sell them.

This was not really unique in the 1970s. Over the years, as moderation became the big thing, the little bottles fell out of favor.

We'd rather see the bill die than see it pass as is. We're better off without a law.

We're afraid if we do something unique here, we're going to put undue burden on our restaurants.

Without a definition of what is substantial food business, every judge could have a different opinion.

Across the state, there's a lot of bed and breakfasts in small rural towns like Clover. It takes an old home that has some uniqueness to it and an unbelievable dedicated person or couple to do it.

Back in the 1970s, when South Carolina and about nine other states also used them, they only could hold 1.5 ounces. When the liquor industry went metric in the '80s, they went to 1.7 ounces.

A lot of bills, just because of timing, may not get to the other side.

A lot of people will wait and see what customers want.

They don't have to have sprinklers or smoke detectors. The health department does not inspect their kitchens. If they (bed and breakfasts) aren't good at what they do, something could go wrong, and it could be a black eye on the community.

It's a hot topic. It's going to be an interesting week.

That's the good thing about the law ? they don't have to change.

The bar or restaurant has their choice of whatever size bottle they deem best for the business or their customers. They might go with minis totally, or they might go with big bottles totally, or a combination of both.

It's a new day. Our customers have told us for years that they'd like to see real drinks normal cocktails that they were accustomed to everywhere else in the U.S.