Baltimore City liquor board approves a slate of new licenses, transfers and extensions; several approvals tied to community MOUs

The Baltimore City Board of Liquor License Commissioners approved a series of new restaurant licenses, ownership transfers and a 90‑day transfer hardship extension at its March 13, 2025 meeting, the board announced at the hearing.

The actions affect businesses across Baltimore neighborhoods — including the Rotunda in Hamden, Waverly, Mount Vernon, Charles North, Canton, Federal Hill and Park Heights — and several approvals were conditioned on memoranda of understanding (MOU) with community associations or similar restrictions, such as limiting outdoor live entertainment or requiring sound mitigation.

Chair (unnamed) opened the meeting and the board heard multiple applications for new class B restaurant licenses, requests to transfer existing licenses and one request to reopen a previously closed premises. The board voted on each application during the session; votes recorded on the transcript were unanimous among the three voting commissioners present (each application below was approved by the board).

Notable approvals

- Barn and Lodge at the Rotunda: The board approved an amended application for a new class B (beer, wine and liquor) restaurant license for Barn and Lodge at the Rotunda, 711 W. 40th St., with live entertainment, outdoor table service and off‑premises catering. The approval was made subject to terms of a memorandum of understanding between the applicants and the Hamden Community Council and limited “to the extent they’re enforceable by law.” Attorney Drew Tilden presented the application and noted a sound test and community outreach had been completed. The proffer included a Councilwoman Ramos support letter and an MOU that the applicants said would prohibit…