MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. — If you're a Marshall County voter, you may have noticed a local amendment on your sample ballot. Residents will be voting on turning Marshall county from a moist county to a wet county. The current state leaves Hog Leg Barbecue in unique situation.
"I think there's nothing wrong with offering beer to our patrons because beer and barbecue go so nicely together," said Owner Nicholette Brown. "When someone can drive one mile in many directions and serve themselves, so it doesn't really make sense for the county as a whole to not be wet," said Owner Gabe Brown.
Because of the current rules, unincorporated parts of the county are unable to sell alcohol. Hog Leg BBQ is located directly in between Guntersville and Arab city limits, but not in incorporated parts. The inability to sell alcohol has punished business on a weekly basis. Nicholette said, "We'll have, you know, blue collar, hard working American, walk in the door and say, Hey, you got beer here? And then, we're like, No. And they're like, well, I'll go a mile down the road,"
This all may change because of the local amendment being voted on Tuesday's election. "I think it would be positive for a lot of people and the whole community," said Nicholette, who also says the change would be good for business. She said, "We can hire more people, pay more people and keep our money here."
It also can be good when it comes to College Football Saturdays. Gabe said, "We can fill this place up for an Alabama game and people want to have a beer when they watch Alabama and right now, they can't do that here.
Some things would need to change for this local food spot. If the county were to go wet, Nicholette says they would need to slightly increase staffing and hire someone who understands how to sell alcohol.
The potential change also comes with some cons. "The main potential downside is just people having too much [to drink]," said Gabe. "I don't want to be open to until midnight every night with a wild, crazy bar," said Nicholette.
Just because the county may go wet or stay moist doesn't affect this place's future. Gabe said, "We already get people here now and we would get even more people with beer."
The owners say they're not sure what types of alcohol they would sell if the amendment passes.
