Five Points Liquor License Fight Continues

Residents near the two Five Points bars face an unresolved appeal over whether the businesses meet state food-sales rules.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Substance Abuse

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of stacked dinner plates beside a neckless liquor bottle on a bar top, evoking the food-versus-alcohol balance in a licensing dispute. — Two Five Points bars still face an unresolved liquor license appeal in Columbia over whether most of their sales come from food, as neighborhood residents press for compliance. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A legal dispute over liquor licenses for two Columbia bars has partly ended: attorney Harpootlian dropped the appeal of the ruling that let Group Therapy keep its license, following a mutual agreement on sealed terms. The appeal of the Five Points Saloon ruling continues with no court date set.

Why it matters

The case centers on a neighborhood complaint that the bars are not following state law requiring most business be driven by food sales rather than alcohol, a question that bears on how liquor licenses tied to alcohol-related harm are policed in Columbia. The ruling and settlement leave that broader compliance question unresolved for the Five Points neighborhood.

The record consists of court filings and judicial rulings in a liquor license renewal dispute, including a judge's decision that the bars could keep their licenses and a denied reconsideration request. The judge did not allow the use of data on how much of the bars' business comes from food sales, so the food-versus-alcohol revenue question was not resolved on the evidence.

The players

Crystal M. Rookard

A South Carolina judge who ruled that the Five Points bars could keep their liquor licenses.

Harpootlian

Attorney who dropped the appeal of the Group Therapy liquor license ruling.

Wales Garden Neighborhood Association

Neighborhood group that filed protests against the bars' liquor license renewals.

The details

Neighborhood association Wales Garden filed protests in July 2024 against the renewals of the two Five Points bars, arguing they do not meet the state requirement that most business come from food sales. Judge Crystal M. Rookard ruled the bars could keep their licenses, and the Group Therapy dispute was then settled by agreement, with the terms based on sealed documents. The appeal over the Five Points Saloon ruling remains pending.

July 2024: Protests against the bars' liquor license renewals were filed.
December 31, 2025: Judge Crystal M. Rookard ruled the bars could keep their licenses.
February 20, 2026: The judge denied the request to reconsider.
March 20, 2026: Appeals were filed on both rulings.
May 6, 2026: The appeal of the Group Therapy ruling was dropped.

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Health Landscape

Liquor licensing rules that require food sales to outweigh alcohol sales are one of the tools communities use to address alcohol-related harm at the neighborhood level. This dispute shows how that requirement is enforced, or contested, through local protest and court review rather than routine state oversight.

Residents near alcohol-serving businesses may want to know how local licensing rules are enforced, since the requirement that food sales outweigh alcohol sales is meant to shape the type of establishment in a neighborhood. Anyone concerned about alcohol use in their household can raise those concerns with a physician or counselor.

The takeaway

Local liquor licensing is one place where neighborhood concerns about alcohol-related harm get tested in court. Residents interested in how those rules apply to nearby businesses can follow the still-pending appeal and talk with a health professional about any personal concerns about alcohol use.