Howard County postpones Golden Hub restaurant license hearing after applicants submit inconsistent application

At its Feb. 24, 2026 meeting the Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board postponed the hearing on a proposed transfer for Golden Hub LLC (to operate as Royal Cuisine of India at 7500 Montpelier Road) after the board found the submitted application incomplete and inconsistent.

Abraham Hurd, attorney for Golden Hub LLC, introduced applicants Sarah Mary D'Souza and her son Aaron D'Souza and described the proposed restaurant as a food-forward operation with a high food-to-alcohol sales ratio. Hurd said the applicants had taken alcohol-awareness training, planned to order alcohol from wholesalers, and intended to maintain experienced staff; he also acknowledged a missing background-page submission for one applicant and indicated he would supply a corrected page.

Board members repeatedly identified inconsistencies on the application form — multiple colors of ink, crossed-out answers, an apparent second applicant referenced in some sections but not clearly listed in others, and missing background-question responses — and said the documents did not allow the board to proceed reliably. Board counsel recommended postponing the hearing until the applicants submitted a clean, amended application with all required responses.

A motion to postpone until the applicants submitted the corrected application was made, seconded and approved by unanimous roll call. Counsel for Golden Hub said they would submit a clean, typed copy of the application by the end of the week.

The board did not deliberate on the substance of the proposed transfer while the application remained incomplete; no final decision on the license was reached at the Feb. 24 hearing.