Richland County Council decides on Jerk Hut license one month after shooting

The Richland County Council unanimously upheld the revocation of The Jerk Hut’s business license, denying an appeal in a July 14 special session called solely to discuss the matter.

The decision comes one month after the deadly June 14 shooting that shut down the Zimalcrest Drive restaurant. At a June 18 news conference outside the building, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott called the business a public nuisance, and said he firmly opposed it ever restarting operations before hanging a large gold chain over the door.

“They don’t deserve to be open any time whatsoever,” Lott said. “The owner’s been notified it is closed and will not reopen.”

Jerk Hut owner Kamesha Coleman will not be permitted to open a bar in Richland County for the next 3 years, Business Service representative Zach Cavanaugh said at the meeting.

Cavanaugh said that Coleman will still be permitted to apply for a license to open any other type of business.

Coleman also was the owner of Relapse Bar and Grill, a Two Notch Road club that remains closed after a May 10 police shooting.

24-year-old Azavius Jones, who was arrested and charged with multiple crimes for the shooting on June 23, was a previously convicted felon. According to jail records, Jones remains in county custody at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 3:18 PM.