St. Mary's alcohol board gives India Garden/Donovan's Pub 15 days to correct license names

The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board on Jan. 10 gave India Garden Restaurant and Donovan's Pub 15 days to complete paperwork to align their trade name, trader's license and other records with the name they are using on the building and signage, or be subpoenaed for a violation.

Board members opened an inquiry after an inspection showed the business operating under signage for "Rick's Cheesesteak" and other names while the liquor license and trader's-license paperwork still listed India Garden Restaurant and Donovan's Pub. The board noted renewal season is approaching and said the discrepancies must be corrected promptly.

At the hearing, owner Marlene Donovan said she had instructed a lawyer to file a trade-name change with the state and that the restaurant had changed from Indian food to pizza, cheesesteaks and wings. "We're gonna submit the trade name change, and we'll do anything that y'all require," Donovan said. Michael Donovan said Rick, who formerly operated Rick's Cheesesteaks in Wildwood, is employed in the Donovan kitchen and the operation remains under a single license and central kitchen.

Board staff and members pressed Donovan on the lapse between notices sent in November and filing the paperwork. The board advised that if the applicant has a registered trade name it must be filed with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and that the trader's (county business) license and sales-and-use tax registration must be consistent with the trade name.

A motion was made and seconded to give India Garden Restaurant and Donovan's Pub 15 days to submit the required trade-name paperwork and ensure all licenses match the operating name; if the paperwork is not received within 15 days the board will issue a summons to appear for a violation. The motion was carried by voice vote.

The board said staff would follow up with an inspection to confirm compliance and that failure to meet the 15‑day deadline would lead to immediate action at the board's next meeting.

The board's action was recorded as an inquiry (not a finding of violation) with a conditional time-limited directive to the licensee to cure administrative inconsistencies affecting licensing records and public notice.