The Alcohol Beverage Board of St. Mary's County on Oct. 10, 2013, conditionally approved the transfer of a Class B beer, wine and liquor license for the Leonardtown Grill to applicants William H. Walker Jr. and Sylvia Walker, granting a 90-day conditional period to complete closing and personal-property transfers.

The board, chaired by Moses Hodeim, approved the motion with a second from Member Betty Curry. The condition relates to completing the sale and personal-property closing tied to the transfer; the applicants told the board they expect to close by Oct. 28 and planned a four-day cleaning period before reopening Nov. 1.

The Walker applicants said they plan to operate the restaurant initially with few changes to the menu and layout while they assess customer flow. William H. Walker Jr., an applicant, said, "We have hired a full time chef. He will actually start on the 23rd working in the restaurant. I will be managing primarily the front of the house. My wife will be managing the bar." Sylvia Walker, co-applicant, noted that she is a certified alcohol awareness instructor and that both applicants are certified food-safety instructors.

Board administrator Tammy Hildebrand told the applicants the transfer would be treated like a new application for board paperwork and that, because the license is a Class B, quota limits were not a concern under Article 2b of the board's rules and regulations. Hildebrand and other board members encouraged the applicants to ensure staff training; the Walkers said they would require servers and bar staff to complete TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) and to have staff attend the board's RAST program when possible.

The board also discussed county rules on allowing patrons to bring their own wine. The chair noted that corkage is a separate county permit; the applicants had not applied for corkage on their form and said they had discussed the option but had not decided whether to offer it.

The motion that carried authorized a 90-day conditional approval pending completion of the personal-property and business closing steps noted on the application. No protests were raised at the meeting.

The board listed the business address on the application as 25470 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650. The chair and staff indicated the board office would list any specific outstanding documents the applicants must submit to complete the file.