Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Tavern License Up for Grabs

For the first time in 20 years, a tavern liquor license is now available for a Georgetown restaurant.

A tavern liquor license, as opposed to a restaurant liquor license, allows an establishment to rely more on alcohol sales. Restaurant liquor licenses mandate that food sales account for at least 45 percent of gross annual receipts, which requires a quarterly report sent to the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration.

The number of tavern or nightclub licenses in Georgetown is capped at six because the neighborhood is designated as an alcoholic beverage control moratorium zone, as are Adams Morgan, East Dupont Circle, West Dupont Circle and Glover Park. The number of tavern licenses for each moratorium zone varies, but other areas of the District do not carry any restrictions. Currently, Chadwick’s, El Centro D.F., Modern, Blue Gin and Rhino hold tavern licenses. El Centro was able to inherit Third Edition’s license when it took over its location earlier this year. There are no nightclub licenses in the neighborhood.

Saloun, which was located at 3239 M St. NW before it closed in October 2011, held the sixth license. Establishments can still keep liquor licenses after closing, as is the case with Blue Gin, which closed in November 2008, and Saloun did not give up its license until this year. The restaurant did not apply for renewal by the Sept. 30 deadline, and the ABRA cancelled the license Oct. 30.

“Restrictions have temporarily been lifted on alcoholic beverage licenses for taverns in the Georgetown Historic District,” ABRA announced in an online press release Nov. 13. “Taverns located in the Georgetown Historic District are permitted to transfer alcoholic beverage licenses to new owners and new locations within the area. An existing restaurant in the historic district will also be able to apply to become a tavern or nightclub in the neighborhood.”

Applications are available online and will be considered by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on a first-come, first-serve basis. As of press time, two Georgetown restaurants, Gypsy Sally’s, at 3401 K St. NW, and Smith Point, at 1338 Wisconsin Ave. NW, have submitted applications for a tavern liquor license, in that order. Applicants must undergo a background investigation that includes a criminal history check.

“Because I personally am the person who’s doing all of the administrative work for those reports that have to be done, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, wouldn’t this be great if I didn’t have to do this any longer?’” Gypsy Sally’s co-owner Karen Ensor said. “Having a tavern license, you don’t have to have any filing requirements, so I thought it would be a nice relief to not have to do that.”

Although a tavern license would alleviate the pressure of meeting the food sales restriction, Ensor said that it would not change the restaurant’s overall business plan, which combines food, alcohol and live music.

“We have no intention of changing our business plan because concert dining is what we want to continue to do, so we still will be serving food here every single evening,” Ensor said. “I don’t think it’s going to change our customer base at all.”

Rhino Bar General Manager David Nelson called ABRA’s first-come, first-serve policy unfair because it does not take into consideration an establishment’s reputation or history.

“Places like Martin’s Tavern, which is the oldest liquor license in Georgetown, if they applied for it, don’t you think they would deserve it more so than anyone else? Because it doesn’t benefit Georgetown who has it, it just benefits the person that has it,” Nelson said. “Places like Martin’s Tavern that’s been here longer than anybody, they obviously deserve it more.”

Overall, Nelson argued that the moratorium’s restrictions on Georgetown’s businesses are detrimental.

“It doesn’t benefit Georgetown at all if a place like Gypsy Sally’s goes from a restaurant to a tavern,” Nelson said. “It benefits Georgetown if more liquor licenses, restaurants [and] bars are allowed to actually come here.”

Smith Point did not respond to requests for comment.

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