Harford County liquor inspectors report 94 percent of 34 businesses that were checked as part of a March 22 sting operation refused to serve an underage criminal justice student from Harford Community College.
Liquor board inspector Charles Robbins said Wednesday he was pleased with the results of the March 22 test, conducted on the heels of a Jan. 23 compliance test mostly in the Joppa and Aberdeen areas that more than a dozen businesses failed.
In the March test, Robbins checked 34 businesses, mostly in the Bel Air area, along with a Sheriff's Office deputy and an underage criminal justice student from Harford Community College.
A server at Box Hill Pizzeria did not check for ID and a server at Pizza Hut in Forest Hill only looked at the cadet's ID briefly before serving, Robbins said in an earlier email.
The businesses that passed by refusing to serve the student included: Looney's Pub, Main Street Tower, Orient Restaurant, Open Door Cafe, Double T Diner, La Tolteca, Greenbrier Wine & Spirit, C.R. Wings, Famous Dave's, Golden Szechuan, American Legion Post 39, Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen, 7-Eleven on Moores Mill Road, Bel Air Moose Lodge 1952 and Greek Village, all in Bel Air; Buffalo Wild Wings, Bel Air Billiards and Scotto's Cafe, all in Emmorton; Bill Bateman's, Post Road Liquors, Rodger's House Tavern and Elks Lodge 1564, all in Havre de Grace; Bush River Yacht Club and Friendship Wine & Spirits, both in Abingdon; Applebee's and Musical Inn, both in Aberdeen; Riverside Pub and Ruby Tuesday, both in Belcamp; Ronnie's Beverage Warehouse in Forest Hill; Bull on the Beach in Campus Hills; Fallston Liquors; and 3rd Base Liquors in Creswell.
The show-cause hearings for the businesses that failed are scheduled for May.
El Rodeo, Edgewood Station, new licenses
El Rodeo Mexican Bar & Grill, which was fined $4,000 last month, gave up its liquor license temporarily as of Monday.
The liquor license for the restaurant, at Edgewood Road and Route 24, had been suspended for 10 days. The license holders were fined for failing to get approval before changing its name and failing to be cooperative with the board, administrative assistant Mary Sporre said.
Also at the meeting, B. Daniel Riley, a former state delegate and Edgewood resident, complained about noise and rowdy behavior from at the new Edgewood Station, whose licensee was before the liquor board Wednesday with a request to change officers.
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Licensee Anthony Harris, however, said his proposed new officer fell through at the last minute and the change-of-officers transfer was up in the air.
Sheriff's Office Lt. Hugh John Dougherty said deputies have gone to Edgewood Station several times since December but "nothing substantial was found."
Liquor board members encouraged Harris to communicate more with Riley and other residents.
Also at Wednesday's meeting, the board gave conditional approval for Havre de Grace licensees to have outdoor service for Third Fridays as well as First Fridays, pending approval from the city.
Grumpy's in Aberdeen finished its term of suspension and paid its fine.
The board approved short term licenses for an April 12 Serendipity Auction at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford County, a May 23 annual dinner by the Havre de Grace Recreation Committee, a change-of-officers transfer for Applebee's in Bel Air and a supplemental application for a licensee at Famous Dave's in Bel Air.
One-day beer and wine licenses were approved for an April 12 bull and oyster roast at Harford County 4-H Clubs and an April 17 spring fundraiser for Friends of Diane Sengstacke.