Weeks after reprimanding The Greene Turtle for its “Thirsty Thursday” promotions, Baltimore County officials are coming after more Towson bars accused of serving minors.
At a hearing Monday afternoon before Baltimore County’s Board of Liquor License Commissioners, York Road establishments the Kent House Irish Pub and World of Wine Tavern were each fined for serving an underage police cadet.
“Serving the minors is a big issue for us,” liquor board Chair Susan Green said in an interview following the hearing. “We also want Towson to be a safe place for people to be able to come have dinner and an evening of entertainment without fear of what was going on before.”
Last month, operators of The Greene Turtle were fined $1,000 for serving a minor and causing a public disturbance with its rowdy “Thirsty Thursday” nights, which drew crowds of several hundred people to the neighborhood. The events, publicized on social media, triggered a massive police response in the area. The Greene Turtle was also barred from serving alcohol on Thursday evenings in October.
Geo Concepcion, the sports bar chain’s CEO, said he plans to shut down the location by the end of the year.
Green believes the punishments impacted Towson for the better, and said she’s heard from people in the area that the neighborhood quieted down as a result. “The temperature is lower, but we still have to be cognizant that this is a different generation,” she said.
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The York Road establishments appearing before the board Monday paid lesser fines than the punishment faced by The Greene Turtle. Green noted that it had been 10 years since the last infraction for the Kent House, which was fined $200. “Even the best establishments get fooled by the cadets every now and then,” she said.
World of Wine Tavern at 537 York Rd. was also accused of selling alcohol to a minor. David F. Mister, an attorney for the business who also represented The Greene Turtle, asked the board for understanding, saying “times are tough in Towson” and businesses in the neighborhood are having a hard time making a profit. The board fined the business $750.
The Charles Village Pub in Towson was also set to go before the board Monday for allegedly serving a minor, but that hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 3.
The additional fines show that Baltimore County officials haven’t singled out just The Greene Turtle for punishment, said Nancy Hafford, executive director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce. “They’re not picking on just one place,” she said. “There’s a standard that everyone has to go by.”
In the weeks following a particularly chaotic Thursday evening in August, Hafford has been working with local businesses to address concerns over the Thirsty Thursday crowds. She said she “100% agreed” with Green’s assessment that things have gotten better. Hafford praised local police for enforcing open container laws and rules against smoking in public.
“Police have done a really good job of working with bars and restaurants to make sure what happened that night never happens again,” she said.
This story has been updated.
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