Johns Creek, Georgia- It wasn’t the idea of a sports bar that alarmed people; it was the proprietor, John Cornetta, who also happens to own a chain of adult video stores, including one in Johns Creek.

When Equity opened in July, area residents feared that Cornetta was using “sports bar” as legal cover and that it would eventually turn into a strip club or some other adult business.

The city has been battling Cornetta over the Love Shack for more than a year, and the case continues to drag on.

Cornetta said business has been good at the restaurant, but that it was consuming too much of his time to manage.

“It just took too much work,” he said. “It was affecting my stores. It was a headache.”

Just before Equity opened, Technology Park/Johns Creek amended its covenants to include adult uses in its list of no-nos. A neighboring business fired off an e-mail warning Cornetta that it was going to be keeping a close eye on Equity to make sure it didn’t cross the lines of propriety or law.

Cornetta said he hopes to sell the business and lease the property.