Here’s the latest twist in the story of Chapel Hill hookah bar owner Adam Bliss.
A Chapel Hill hookah bar owner who’s been engaged in a public battle against the state’s smoking ban is finding it just as frustrating to try and comply with the law as it is to fight it.
On Monday, Adam Bliss, owner of Hookah Bliss on Franklin Street, notified the Orange County Health Department that he has stopped selling beer, reluctantly putting a temporary halt to his defiance until he can raise money for a legal fight. By ending beer sales, Bliss is seeking to meet the law’s definition of a tobacco shop, which is exempt from the ban.
Bliss’ call to the county triggered a late Monday visit from Tom Konsler, Orange County’s environmental health director. The visit itself didn’t surprise Bliss. Last month, Konsler told Carolina Journal the onus is on Bliss to tell the county he’s come into compliance and then allow a follow-up inspection.
But according to Bliss, instead of giving the business the seal of approval, Konsler told him he must also cancel Hookah Bliss’ alcohol permit, which Bliss renewed in March at a cost of $225. Once that’s done, Bliss must notify the county again and another compliance visit will follow.
