Memphis, Tenn., August 23, 2018 – The lawsuit filed by Club 152 in April of 2016 against Purple Haze Nightclub in the Chancery Court of Shelby County for the 30th Judicial District in Memphis, Tennessee to designate Purple Haze as being located outside of the Beale Street Historic District thereby making it illegal for them to sell alcohol after 3 a.m. was dismissed with prejudice on August 15, 2018.

“Purple Haze can now continue operations and selling alcohol until 5 a.m. like every other business located in the Beale Street Historic District,” said Edward Bearman, attorney for Purple Haze Nightclub. “Our position from the beginning was this suit had no merit. Purple Haze is finally vindicated in the matters of this lawsuit.”

Club 152, whose well-connected ownership team that includes spokesperson and co-owner Wilber Hensley, filed a lawsuit April 28, 2016, immediately prior to Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival to stop Purple Haze Nightclub from serving alcohol between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., claiming it was not physically located in the Beale Street Historic District. Businesses in the Beale Street Historic District are allowed to serve alcohol between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. while businesses outside of the Historic District have to stop serving alcohol at 3 a.m. Purple Haze fought the allegations made by Club 152 believing the lawsuit had no merit and the claims were politically and monetarily motivated.

Efforts to try to rescind Purple Haze Nightclub’s rights to serve alcohol after 3 a.m.drew involvement from Beale Street Merchants Association, The City of Memphis, and Downtown Memphis Commission. In December 2017 The Downtown Memphis Commission acknowledged to the court that Purple Haze was in fact located in the Downtown Historic District. In March 2018, Purple Haze filed a motion to dismiss on several grounds, including that Club 152 did not have a private right to action under the prevailing statute. After more than two years of proceedings, Club 152 filed to dismiss the case with prejudice before the matter could be heard.

“I have been very confident in the judicial system to prevail in our favor,” said Pat Thomasson, owner of Purple Haze Nightclub. “I will continue to offer quality entertainment to the area and am pleased to be able to continue our operations until 5 a.m. I am glad this is behind us, and I would ask that all further media inquiries be directed to our publicist, Valerie Morris, of Morris Marketing Group.”

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