Baltimore liquor board swears in new chair, approves dozens of liquor-license transfers and applications

Granville Templeton was sworn in as chair of the Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City on Oct. 9, and the board approved a large group of license transfers, new restaurant licenses and 90-day transfer-hardship extensions.

The meeting opened with Templeton’s swearing-in and a series of acknowledgements. Templeton thanked outgoing Chairman Maturciani and Gov. Wes Moore for the reappointment that enabled his continuation on the board. The board also welcomed Commissioner Chambers and introduced David McGinnis as the board’s new chief inspector. Clerk Conaway administered the oath, and staff members including Assistant Executive Secretary Elizabeth Russell and others were acknowledged for logistical support.

Why it matters: licensing decisions determine which restaurants, bars and retailers can sell alcohol in neighborhoods across Baltimore City and often include conditions such as memoranda of understanding with neighborhood groups, continuation of outdoor table service, live entertainment approvals, or limits tied to capital investment and food-sales percentages. Many of the items on the Oct. 9 docket were routine transfers or approvals tied to community memoranda; one transfer generated sustained public comment over proximity to a church.

Public comment, statutory clarification and a contested transfer: During the hearing on the proposed transfer for Deep Liquors (2104 Frederick Avenue), resident James Turnbull told the board the store should not receive the permit and argued that Baltimore City law “is not supposed to grant a new or transferred liquor license to an establishment within 300 feet of a church or school.” Turnbull said parts of the church property, including a parking/activities lot, were effectively adjacent to the store and urged the board to deny the transfer.

A member of board staff (the deputy executive secretary) responded that the 300-foot proximity rule applies when a license is moved to a location; it does not apply where an existing license has remained at the same location for decades. The deputy executive secretary said the Deep Liquors license had been at that location more than 30 years, so the statutory proximity restriction did not block the transfer. The board then approved the transfer; commissioners urged the new owner to work with the neighborhood to address concerns.

Votes at a glance: The board processed a packed docket and approved the following (outcomes and conditions are paraphrased from the record):

- 90-day transfer-hardship extensions (approved): Baltimore Spice Restaurant & Bar, 413 W. Baltimore St. (Class BD7); The Den at Wilson’s LLC (The Den), 4537 Harford Rd. (Class BD7); Atrium Tavern (AM Food & Beverage Co.), 2522 Washington Blvd. (Class BD7).

- New or amended Class B (restaurant) licenses (approved; many subject to community memorandum of understanding (MOU) or exhibit in the file): Good Life Baltimore LLC / 1301 N. Charles St. (Class B restaurant license; MOU with Mount Vernon-Belvedere group admitted); Tropical 95 Degree Bar & Grill / 1401 Bloomfield Ave. (live entertainment, outdoor table service); Amy Liefenfeld / 901 W. 30th St. (live entertainment, outdoor table service); Lime & Salt (amended application with off-premises catering); Royal Thai (amended transfer and move to 3100 Greenmount Ave.).

- Transfers of ownership (approved; typical conditions: alcohol-management certification for licensees and servers; some transfers were from contract purchasers or secured creditors): Jerry’s Liquors, 2200 N. Charles St.; Masawa Liquor Store, 2802 Edmonson Ave.; Bull Robinson Liquors, 2736 Greenmount Ave.; Melroy’s Package Liquors, 1813 Pennsylvania Ave.; Miller’s Liquors, 849 Washington Blvd.; Rafies (Local Dough LLC), 1115 W. 30th St. (amended to add off-premises catering/delivery); Spice Kitchen West African Grill, 2400 Boston St., Suite 120 (live entertainment, outdoor tables); Walker Sports Bar, 902 S. Charles St.; Fins on Madison (Foam LLC), 307–11 W. Madison Ave. (secured-creditor transfer, continuation of live entertainment/outdoor tables); Amadeus (301 S. Exeter St., Class D); Bark Social (Bark Social Canton), 3822 Boston St. (transfer from bankruptcy sale); Bridal Boy (4801 Hartford Rd., sandwich shop concept); ASAR Lounge, 2101–03 N. Ave.; Bar Jinju (Jinju LLC); 18 13 Sips LLC, 1813 N. Charles St. (contract purchaser); Lime & Salt Investments LLC, 1747–49 Belt St.; and several other transfers listed on the docket.

- Postponements/withdrawals: Case No. 18 (withdrawn); Sheldon 2021 Inc. (Sheldon’s Lounge, 4325–27 Bel Air Rd.) was postponed. One amended transfer (Klout Southern Cuisine and Lounge LLC trading as 1865 Steaks, Seafood & Liquors) was postponed at the applicant’s request so the applicants could finalize a community MOU and appear with testimony.

Board process and community conditions: Many approvals were conditional on documents admitted into the record — most commonly an MOU between applicants and neighborhood associations — and on licensees and servers completing alcohol-management certification before operating. Several applicants presented menus or business plans and noted planned capital investments (some filings referenced the capital thresholds set out in the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article for Class B restaurant licenses).

What the board said: Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the importance of licensees engaging with their neighborhoods. Several approvals included direct advice from commissioners urging applicants to work with nearby residents and community associations to avoid neighborhood conflict.

Tally and next steps: Most approvals were recorded as unanimous on the record. The board recessed at the end of the docket and scheduled the next session for Oct. 23, 2025.

Ending: The Oct. 9 meeting combined the formal business of swearing in board leadership with a heavy licensing docket that will directly affect restaurants, bars and retailers across Baltimore; where neighborhood groups submitted MOUs or letters of support, the board incorporated those documents into approvals as enforceable exhibits.