By Sarah Miller, Calvert Gazette
HOLLYWOOD, MD.—The liquor board realized Thursday evening, Dec. 15, that in the last 25 to 30 years a catering license has never been issued in Calvert County.
Currently, class B licenses are issued to restaurants, which allow proprietors to sell beer, wine and liquor. A standing practice is to use the class B licenses when catering events, such as weddings.
Now, due to a case in front of the liquor board, they are considering a change to the code to allow for explicit catering licenses for private citizens.
Casey St. John, a manager at Vera’s White Sands Beach Club, has been trying to get a private catering license for a future personal side business while making sure not to compromise Vera’s liquor license.
St. John said she has gone to the state to ask about catering licenses, but she was told the license she is looking for is handled at the local level. The state only deals with liquor licenses what cross county borders.
The closest thing Calvert County offers currently to the license St. John is seeking is a special event permit, but those are only available for non-profit organizations to use for fundraisers and other events. For profit groups, like St. John’s potential catering company, are not covered under the section 6 one-day permits.
The board is considering legislation for a change to the code allowing for private, for-profit businesses to get a catering license. A draft of the legislation will be reviewed during the January meeting of the liquor board.