License board fines two Carroll County eateries $300 each for underage sales

The Carroll County Board of License Commissioners heard two separate enforcement cases involving sales to minors and issued $300 fines in each matter.

Glory Days Grill (case 6562): Inspector Keith Benford described an May 2 compliance check at Glory Days in Eldersburg in which an underage volunteer ordered a Blue Moon at the bar and was served after the bartender reviewed a vertical Maryland driver's license. The inspector reported the volunteer was 19 and that the bartender had been on the job about five days and had not completed the board’s required alcohol-management training. The bartender acknowledged the mistake and stated she would enroll in the diversion program.

License counsel for the operator submitted a server-training handbook and explained that Glory Days conducts a multi-day in-house training program that closely mirrors the state-managed training; managers at the Eldersburg unit are certified and the chain is exploring making an in-house trainer a certified instructor. Counsel emphasized the chain's compliance efforts and said the unit had sold a large volume of alcohol without previous violations under the current ownership. After hearing evidence and argument, the board found the licensee culpable and assessed a $300 fine.

Fork & Mallet / The Smokehouse Pub (case 6563): The board later considered a separate May 2 incident at The Smokehouse Pub in Westminster. An underage volunteer bought a six-pack of Corona at the carryout register and was not asked for identification; the cashier completed the sale. Inspector Ledley's report described the volunteer as 19. The manager and owner representatives acknowledged the staffing lapse, said the employee was recently turned 21 and had worked primarily in carryout roles, and described prompt retraining and a renewed emphasis on ID checks and supervisory oversight. The board found the licensee culpable and issued a $300 fine.

Both fines are payable within 30 days of official written notice from the board. In both hearings commissioners stressed that while enforcement is necessary, they also expect licensees to be proactive with training, signage that clarifies vertical-format licenses are not acceptable, and routine internal compliance checks.

Why it matters: Sale-to-minor enforcement remains a primary responsibility of local licensing authorities. The board’s actions underline county expectations that servers and cashiers be trained to refuse sales to underage buyers and that managers maintain active oversight.

What’s next: Each licensee must pay the assessed fine within 30 days of written notice; the board urged both operators to expand certified alcohol-management training for staff and to install clearer on-premise signage to reduce future risks.