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Board grants Tuckahoe Diner a new Class B on-premises liquor license, conditioned on completing permits and fees
Summary
Caroline County commissioners approved a new Class B (beer, wine and liquor) seven-day on-premises license for Ambaji LLC (doing business as Tuckahoe Diner, 9 Central Ave., Ridgely) after staff confirmed application completeness; approval is conditioned on payment of fees and receipt of health, fire and state registrations within the board’s timelines.
The Caroline County Board of License Commissioners voted June 24 to grant Ambaji LLC — doing business as Tuckahoe Diner at 9 Central Avenue in Ridgely — a new Class B (beer, wine and liquor) on-premises license, contingent on completing outstanding regulatory steps and fees.
Staff told the board the application was complete and background checks returned no disqualifying criminal history. Staff listed outstanding items that must be provided within 30 days of approval, including an advertising fee of $202.50, the board’s license fee (noted as $1,250 if issued by July 31, 2026), environmental health department approval, proof of alcohol-awareness certification for servers, workers' compensation insurance, state business registration and approval from the state fire marshal and town occupancy permit.
Applicants Xavier G. Coelho and Paul Reece Stafford Jr. were present and represented by counsel. Coelho is identified in the record as the proposed manager; he and Stafford told the board they plan to operate a sit-down restaurant with breakfast and dinner service initially and hire about four to five employees. "I'll be there 100% all the time," applicant Xavier Coelho said when asked about on-site management.
Commissioners asked for the site plan to clearly identify where alcohol would be stored, sold and consumed; applicants agreed to mark alcohol storage (the dry-storage room accessible through the kitchen) and the proposed bar area on the site plan. The board walked through statutory factors for approval — public need, number/location of existing licensees, potential community impacts and public-safety concerns — and found the application met the standards, noting no written objections had been filed.
A motion to approve the license, with the understanding that outstanding items must be completed before the permit issue, was moved, seconded and carried by the board. The board discussed whether to limit the license to six or seven days; staff explained the fee differential and the board agreed to approve the seven-day license while leaving operational scheduling to the owners. The clerk will add the alcohol-storage and premise-area clarification to the application file.
