Board approves patio service and to‑go alcoholic beverages for Cinco de Mayo in Columbia

The Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board unanimously approved Oct. 22 an extension of premises and off‑sale privileges for Cinco de Mayo Number 6 Inc., allowing the restaurant to serve alcohol on a fenced outdoor patio and sell sealed mixed drinks to‑go.

Owner Jose Antonio Ulloa described customer demand for margaritas to go and said the restaurant would apply the same ID checks and manager oversight used inside the dining room to the patio area. "All the rules that we have inside will apply outside," Ulloa said, adding servers would deliver drinks to tables, managers would perform walk‑throughs and mixed drinks sold for off‑premises consumption would be sealed.

Board members questioned how the three‑sided patio adjacent to Ryze (a neighboring business) would be monitored and how the parties would handle liability and landlord permissions. Ulloa said there is a memorandum of understanding with the neighboring business and that the landlord is reviewing a written agreement; he said the applicant will provide the board the finalized documentation once available. The owner said the restaurant had been at the location for about nine years and that the patio had been used for outdoor service during the COVID period under prior arrangements.

Attorney Martin Johnson clarified that sealed containers meet the legal requirement for off‑premises alcohol sales and said the restaurant would not offer delivery service, only carryout sealed drinks paired with prepared food. The board recorded the approximate interior area (2,577 square feet) and an exterior area of 1,026 square feet for the licensed premises at 8874 McGaugh Road, Columbia, MD 21045.

A motion to approve the extension of premises (including off‑sale privileges) passed unanimously. The owner waived his right to appeal at the hearing; administrative steps will follow to document the extension.