What happened at the Liquor Board on January 19, 2017.

The restaurant and lounge will serve small plates and tapas, modeling itself after a popular restaurant in New York. Said Williams, Sangria will provide a sophisticated, trendy atmosphere for patrons to mingle. Williams submitted a letter of support from the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association.

The applicant has experience in the restaurant business in the DC area, both in Maryland and northern Virginia. She testified that she consults with venues between New York and Washington DC. She will be present at the restaurant at least five days per week.

Commissioner Greenfield asked about the ownership of the LLC associated with the license. Mr. Jones is a majority shareholder but not listed on the license; Ms. McGuire is a minority owner.

Commissioner Moore noted that she had just driven back from northern Virginia that morning and that traffic was difficult; she joked that she had considered driving in the breakdown lane. Williams joked back that a Prince George’s County liquor board commissioner had gotten in trouble recently for his driving, too.

Chairman Matricciani noted that the last time that the Drinkery was before them, the commissioners had been very concerned about the operations of the establishment, and he was relieved to see the transfer to a new operator.

Commissioner Moore asked Ms. Miller about her experience in the alcohol management industry. Miller responded that both sides of her family have been in the bar business, so she has grown up in it. She said that she is more hands on than her grandfather, the current licensee, had been. The staff knows to call her when there is a problem, and she has constant access to security cameras. She testified that the relationship between the Drinkery and the community has improved.

Commissioner Greenfield asked about better communication between the licensee and the nearby neighbors and asked Ms. Miller to do some proactive reaching out to specific people who had had problems with the bar.

Mr. Eric Evans, representative of MVBA, added that the community is willing to work with Ms. Miller in the future. Commissioner Greenfield asked Evans whether he owns any liquor licenses in Baltimore, because “this has come back to bite us in the past.” Evans replied that he does not.

These provisions of law seem to be what Greenfield was referring to in his question to Mr. Evans. This shows a troubling lack of understanding that: (1) the hearing before the Board was not a protest of renewal; (2) those provisions refer to who may sign a written protest of renewal, not who may testify in a public hearing.

The commissioners then expressed gratitude for the applicants’ investment in downtown Baltimore.

Mr. Hurdle explained that his client had met with nearby neighbors and the president of the community association, had discussed their concerns, and they had come to a written agreement, which he presented to the Board. The agreement contains provisions that deal with security, hours of operation, trash, parking, noise, live entertainment, and communication.

Commissioner Moore asked about the applicant’s former employment with the Baltimore City police department; he said that he left for another opportunity.

Violation of Rule 3.09(a): Rest Room Facilities and Health Regulations – October 20, 2016 – At approximately 7:53 PM, the Baltimore Sheriff’s Office, and the BLLC conducted random, joint investigations of establishments to determine if licensees would sell alcoholic beverages to minors. During the joint investigation, the BLLC inspectors conducted a compliance check of the location and found that the bathrooms were in unsatisfactory condition as they lacked toilet paper and had fly infestation.

Violation of Rule 3.03(c): Records – October 20, 2016 – At approximately 7:53 PM, the Baltimore Sheriff’s Office, and the BLLC conducted random, joint investigations of establishments to determine if licensees would sell alcoholic beverages to minors. During the joint investigation, the BLLC inspectors requested copies of the establishment’s employee records. The server did not comply with the BLLC’s inspectors requests as it was determined that the employee records were not available for inspectors to review.

Mr. Peter Prevas moved to dismiss the sale to minors charge, because there was no evidence in the record that the cadet is under 21 years old, besides the testimony of the sheriff. Mr. Prevas argued that his client should be able to see evidence of the specific age of the cadet, not just testimony from her supervisors that she was under 21.

Vaccaro told Commissioner Moore that his bar doesn’t get many “outsiders,” so he tells his employees to ID anyone who looks young or anyone who’s an outsider. His employee, Shannon, who served the cadet, had been off and on working with him for a few years. He went on a tangent for a while about his issues with his employees and building trust with them, noting “I’ve had bartenders who get fired within the first hour.”

Commissioner Greenfield noted that the licensee’s record does not show enough engagement with the bar.

Mr. Prevas proffered that, since the notice of the violations, Mr. Vaccaro closed the bar for a few days to clean it out. Going forward, he will be running the bar by himself.

Violation of Rule 4.16: Illegal Conduct – December 28, 2016 – At approximately 10:54 am, BLLC staff conducted a review of the corporate status of the entity known as “MP & AP, Inc.” and found that the entity was deemed “forfeited” by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.

In mitigation of the sale to minors, Mr. Kodenski said that the employee who committed the violation was in training at the time, and his supervisor had left him on his own.

Violation of Rule 4.01(a): Sales to Minors – October 20, 2016 – At approximately 6:10 PM, the Baltimore Sheriff’s Office, and the BLLC conducted random, joint investigations of establishments to determine if licensees would sell alcoholic beverages to minors. The joint task force responded to the establishment and sent Baltimore City Sheriff volunteer/cadet Christina Barrios-Lopez, who is under the age of 21, into the establishment to attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage(s). At that time Ms. Barrios-Lopez entered the establishment and ordered a 14 ounce glass of Bud Light beer. The bartender/store clerk then provided Ms. Barrios-Lopez with a 14 ounce glass of Bud Light beer. Ms. Barrios-Lopez then communicated to the task force that she had been furnished an alcoholic beverage. Members of the task force entered the establishment and notified the bartender/store clerk that an alcoholic beverage(s) had just been furnished to a minor and it would be reported to the BLLC.

The commissioners expressed concern that the license is so recently transferred and already has two violations. Moore stated that she doesn’t think that the licensees take their business seriously and suggested that they schedule a time for them to come back in two months.