The Newport City Council, operating as the Board of License Commissioners, took Bloody Bull LLC, which runs Gardiner House, off its agenda for a show cause hearing on Wednesday night. The business has now met all state requirements for its Class BT alcoholic beverage license.
The council had planned to hold the hearing on Feb. 12, but it’s no longer needed. Gardiner House has cleared up its issues with the Rhode Island Division of Taxation.
This update follows a Jan. 22 meeting where the council, acting as the board of licensures, decided to put off the hearing. At that time, Gardiner House was still working on getting the green light from the state’s tax division.
The issue started when City Manager Colin Kennedy filed a complaint. He said Bloody Bull LLC had been open since Dec. 1, 2024, without proper alcoholic beverage and victualing licenses. The business hadn’t gotten approval from the R.I. Division of Taxation and hadn’t paid daily late fees.
The show cause hearing had gained extra attention as Newport City Council Chair/Mayor Charlie Holder is the Director of Operations for Gardiner House. As such, Holder was required to recuse himself from the council conversation and vote during the Jan. 22 hearing.
