Baltimore City liquor board approves wide docket of transfers, new licenses, outdoor service and entertainment requests

The Baltimore City Board of Liquor License Commissioners on July 10 approved a slate of new licenses, ownership transfers, hardship extensions and conditional changes to licensed premises across the city.

The board began the meeting by announcing a single monetary penalty under Maryland’s Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article (section 12-2105) and Liquor Board rule 2.16: CSM Ventures LLC, trading as Cross Street Market (1065 S. Charles St.), paid a $500 fine for allowing a patron to leave with an open beer bottle on March 7, 2025.

Votes at a glance

- Bark Social (3822 Boston St., Class D7): Board granted a 180-day hardship extension after the applicant said the business ran into financial difficulty while arranging a competent new operator. Approval recorded on the basis of a May 29, 2025 letter and in-person testimony.

- Midtown Liquor (17 W. Biddle St., Class A): Board granted a 90-day transfer hardship extension; counsel said the controller’s office review of potential tax liens was delaying final transfer paperwork.

- Thumpers (4600 Curtis Ave., Class B D7): Board approved expansion of the licensed premises to include a recently constructed roughly 2,500-square-foot outdoor patio and allowed outdoor table service. The applicants proffered proposed outdoor hours (Sunday–Thursday until 10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday until 11 p.m.) and agreed to a condition negotiated with Action Baybrook that permits up to two monthly extended events with 14 days’ written notice to the neighborhood group; that condition is reflected in the record.

- Bao Dai (3215 Eastern Ave., new Class B): Board approved a new Class B restaurant license; applicants presented community letters of support.

- Blanco’s LLC (413 N. Charles St., new Class B): Board approved a new Class B restaurant license with live entertainment, outdoor table service and off-premises catering, contingent on an MOU with the Downtown Partnership being filed and attached to the license.

- Moe’s Place (Third floor, Johns Hopkins Student Center, new Class B): Board approved a new Class B license for a 94-seat full-service restaurant intended for the Hopkins community, subject to the terms of an MOU with the Charles Village Civic Association that the applicants provided and asked be attached to the license.

- La Maison (2600 N. Howard St., new Class B): Board approved a new Class B restaurant license with indoor and outdoor table service; counsel said the applicant meets statutory capital and seating thresholds and has neighborhood support from the Greater Remington Improvement Association.

- Josefina (1409 Point St., new Class B): Board approved a new Class B license for a fine-dining Spanish concept at Harbor Point after review of menus, renderings and letters of support.

- Eddie’s of Mount Vernon (transfer of Class A): Board approved an amended ownership transfer to Kavita Mahat, contingent on the MOU with the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association being part of the license record and enforceable to the extent allowed by law.

- Rothenhofer Brothers / Three Brothers (3061 Frederick Ave., transfer): Board approved the ownership transfer; counsel confirmed the transaction keeps qualified operators in place and that any staff who handle alcohol will be certified.

- Penny Black (1800 Thames St., transfer): Board approved transfer of ownership and continuation of outdoor table service and live entertainment; counsel stated the applicants had an MOU with the community association and that the terms would be attached to the license.

- Power Plant Live (34 Marketplace, arena license transfer): Board approved a straightforward transfer of the arena license with continuation of live entertainment and outdoor table service; applicants confirmed continued ID checks, security and staff training.

- Pimlico Racecourse / Maryland Turf Caterers (racetrack license transfer): Board approved transfer of racetrack and caterer operations to the Maryland Jockey Club following Pimlico ownership changes; applicants confirmed continued qualified staff and food/beverage operations.

- Gems Wine Mercantile (2200 E. Fayette St., transfer): Board approved transfer subject to the community MOU being submitted and attached to the license as required by the enabling legislation.

- Red Door Liquor & Lounge (Glover St., transfer): Board approved transfer; counsel said the applicant is familiar with board rules and will ensure certified staff.

- Happy Jack Tavern (2822 Hudson St., transfer): Board approved transfer of ownership; counsel described local ties and a management plan.

- Costa De Ora / Luo’s (4330 E. Lombard St., transfer): Board approved transfer and continuation of live entertainment; counsel described the applicant’s operations and certifications.

- Class A Define Lounge (2709–2711 Washington Blvd., amended transfer from secured creditor): Board approved the amended transfer after counsel confirmed required inspections, permits and certifications.

- Pupuseria Mamatana (relocation and amended transfer of Class D license): Board approved the amended transfer and change of location (from 426 S. Newkirk St. to 4707 Eastern Ave.) with delivery of alcoholic beverages, subject to the submission of a memorandum of understanding with the Greektown Neighborhood Association; a neighborhood representative testified that the MOU had not yet been negotiated and must be submitted before activation of the license.

- New Burgers 1 Tavern (5523 Bel Air Rd., add live entertainment): Board approved the addition of live entertainment subject to the applicant’s submission of the zoning use-and-occupancy permit that the zoning office issued (the board recorded that the permit must be filed before the licensee may operate live entertainment).

What the board conditioned or required

Several approvals were expressly conditioned on submission of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) or zoning/use-and-occupancy documentation. Where applicants presented neighborhood MOUs or letters of support, the board frequently recorded those documents as part of the case record and tied enforcement to the extent allowed by law. In at least one instance (Midtown Liquor) the controller’s office review of tax matters was noted as an outstanding administrative impediment to final transfer.

Why this matters

Licensing decisions on outdoor service, live entertainment and transfers affect neighborhood noise, pedestrian activity, late-night operations and the local mix of hospitality offerings. The board’s routine practice in this docket was to attach neighborhood agreements and permitting conditions to new operations to create enforceable expectations between licensees and neighborhood organizations.

The board recessed at the close of the docket and reminded attendees the board office would close at 3:00 p.m. for staff training; it announced its next regular meeting for July 24, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.