[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6561188,"mediaKeyId","3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8","parentId",3295773,"title","Howard County board approves Mall in Columbia outdoor consumption license with security conditions","audioSeconds",4528,"startMs",2691000,"endMs",7219000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8&start=2691&end=7219","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8/thumbnail_2691000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6561188/Howard-County/Maryland/Howard-County-board-approves-Mall-in-Columbia-outdoor-consumption-license-with-security-conditions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6561188-e208f3d5ac6a4fc84be21fdb35857903/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151540&Signature=ipERF-PzkUxASNEN9JsYiwmo5v-f7ND4hinSbjm0bxsCdebniYy-1UpHPhpmESQxZZXDkyWo3dGn-koksgHc2AgpxgaRZ8gwkYs2SROkk~qUvry2luTRUs4pBKS7XnvMQ~Y9izMPCO3VMt9fZZV3Amts-wt~5YOSu5XyMj24bumJax4zssB4MvOSC1kce84f7Rn9SZzuWwyJ8ffQcmXlJvN3qIsVPfSD2FV8jajq1guf1Ejq1o1r8yH7JIyVaaQsViIqu-FdrsOj4YSQp0ZWxopC0~uiYlR3VXK8EZnkKI4tZTxJjd~XMKTFyWwQpOwgSN6iFCYg4XBDuYET4UFgVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Howard","date","2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board on May 13 approved a consumption‑only shopping plaza license for Brookfield Properties Retail Inc., operator of the Mall in Columbia, allowing participating Class B restaurants to sell and their customers to possess and consume alcoholic beverages within a defined outdoor plaza at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

The board’s approval followed testimony and a safety plan the Howard County Police Department reviewed. Evan Feldman, an attorney for Brookfield, said the application covers an approximately 95,000‑square‑foot contiguous outdoor area adjacent to restaurants from Shake Shack to Uncle Julio’s and that the plan was submitted under Maryland Alcoholic Beverages Code section 23‑1006.1, the statute authorizing shopping‑mall plaza consumption licenses enacted in 2022.

Brookfield and restaurant operators told the board the program will limit containers to clear plastic cups bearing the serving restaurant’s logo, prohibit bottles and cans in the plaza, and require participating restaurants to remain responsible for lawful sales under their Class B licenses. Mary Williams, senior general manager of property operations for the Mall in Columbia, said signs and decals will mark the plaza and that mall and restaurant staff will coordinate to prevent removal of alcoholic beverages from the designated area. “The responsibility for overall safety and security rests with the mall,” Williams said, adding that restaurants will be liable for violations by their staff.

Williams described planned summer activations, movie nights and other events intended to drive foot traffic and support mall restaurants. She said the mall has added permanent signage and will use temporary sandwich boards during events to clearly identify the consumption area. “We will have signs prohibiting the removal of alcoholic beverages from the licensed area,” she said.

Detective Corporal Mark Baxter of the Howard County Police Department testified he reviewed the mall’s safety and security plan at a March site meeting and provided input; he described the mall plan as meeting the department’s expectations and noted ongoing police engagement at the site. “They have a lot of resources, like a security team and a lot that most places don’t have,” Baxter said in response to the board’s questions about enforcement.

Brookfield described multiple security elements: a 24/7 dispatch center monitoring more than 60 CCTV cameras, roaming and stationary private security officers, a market security patrol, additional trash pickup and street sweeping during events, and a vapor‑wake canine trained to detect certain explosive residues. Matthew Zentner, senior operations manager for the mall, said dispatch is roughly 100 yards from the plaza and that dispatch can radio field officers for a response; he estimated typical private‑security response times at the plaza as under one minute.

Board members pressed for clarity about enforcement and reporting of violations. Corporal Baxter explained that patrol officers and detectives investigate alleged violations and that any enforcement matters would be followed up by the police and, if appropriate, referred for administrative action against license holders. Board members requested ongoing tracking and periodic review of incidents; Baxter and mall staff said they would continue coordinating with county police and could provide reports on calls or incidents.

Before voting, several commissioners asked that mall security receive alcohol‑awareness training. The board approved the license 4–1, conditioning final approval on Brookfield ensuring mall security staff assigned to the plaza complete alcohol‑awareness certification. Chair Chen moved approval; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Coleman. The roll call was: Chair Chen — yes; Commissioner Coleman — yes; Commissioner Hunt — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Commissioner Kim — no.

The board recorded that special events using the plaza will require separate permits under the same section of the Alcoholic Beverages Code and that the mall must apply for those event permits before promoting ticketed or organized special events. The mall and police said they will finalize signage locations and the exact operational details for events in coordination with the department.

The license grants participating restaurants the ability to sell for consumption inside the defined outdoor area while preserving the restaurants’ responsibility to comply with liquor laws. The mall’s resident agent, Rita Chiganda Jones, testified she will be the on‑site resident agent and that she and the mall’s management team will coordinate tenant participation and enforcement.

Board members said they were approving a first‑of‑its‑kind license in Howard County with caution and asked for periodic feedback on enforcement and incident data to assess whether the approach is working. The board’s written decision and conditions are to be recorded in the board’s order file.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Howard - Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board - May 13, 2025 - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board on May 13 approved a consumption‑only shopping plaza license for Brookfield Properties Retail Inc., operator of the Mall in Columbia, allowing participating Class B restaurants to sell and their customers to possess and consume alcoholic beverages within a defined outdoor plaza at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.","taxTitle","Howard County, Maryland","taxId",13634,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6561178,"Votes at a glance: Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board, May 13, 2025",1721,4000,1725000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8&start=4&end=1725","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8/thumbnail_4000.jpg","/articles/6561178/Howard-County/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-Howard-County-Alcohol-Beverage-Hearing-Board-May-13-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6561178-b8187aa2b50d602d64823451648a3ce5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151540&Signature=PXtrKILYRnSkgZ-AuDnPlMimVTfY9eaE13rwHQv-TG5JDkqiL3bZ8clkDa68~-NsQlFOZPBr7zSlGLHfnO7gpXWPmrA03Xc1IpLuAsmhmDUmCly-XMMH0ACO~m-Pn6kjQr670W4tp4VWf8~3rEMl4SVxlsD1ice5c2bGE5CDCu~ywC~~GnkDYPme3E6iequLhgw~Dtv7EcEY5a65seiXiyZpNYZUpCHa8uZgGH9TO47KtsAWLBs4D2r9j1fz3hr3gR4arHmxROaXYed8nJWg1uYxaYiuydY8Ex1kjVEf5oRzBN5SLQaMgDs68QzrqrGzgitMzPyjvTsrwr3T6H7XOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board recorded the following formal actions at its May 13, 2025 meeting. This summary lists each motion, the mover/second where on the record, and the roll‑call outcome as entered in the hearing record.

Approved minutes (March 25, 2025)
- Motion: Accept the minutes of March 25, 2025.
- Mover: (on record) Commissioner Hunt
- Second: (on record) Commissioner Coleman
- Vote: Chair Chen — yes; Commissioner Coleman — yes; Commissioner Hunt — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Commissioner Kim — yes
- Outcome: approved
- Notes: Routine adoption of prior meeting minutes.

Transfer — Class A beer, wine and liquor (off‑sale) — Old Time Liquors (B E Inc / applicant Vijesh Kumar)
- Motion summary: Grant transfer of Class A (off‑sale) beer, wine and liquor license to B E Inc., trading as Old Time Liquors (applicant named as Vijesh Kumar).
- Mover: (on record) Commissioner Johnson moved (motion context recorded in hearing transcript)
- Second: Commissioner Coleman (recorded as second)
- Vote: Chair Chen — yes; Commissioner Coleman — yes; Commissioner Hunt — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Commissioner Kim — yes
- Outcome: approved
- Notes: Applicant has been manager of the location since 2009, reported no prior violations; board accepted counsel’s statements and applicant testimony; counsel waived written appeal.

Transfer — Class B beer, wine and liquor (on‑sale) — Sushi Q LLC to YJLK Inc. (trading as Sushi Q; proposed resident licensee Yoojin Kim)
- Motion summary: Transfer Class B beer, wine and liquor 7‑day license to YJLK Inc., trading as Sushi Q, with Yoojin Kim as the proposed licensee.
- Mover: Commissioner Kim (motion placed on the record)
- Second: Commissioner Johnson (recorded as second)
- Vote: Chair Chen — yes; Commissioner Coleman — yes; Commissioner Hunt — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Commissioner Kim — yes
- Outcome: approved
- Notes: Applicant presented plans to retain staff, provide alcohol‑awareness training for staff, and be on site frequently following transfer; counsel waived written appeal.

(See article entries for fuller coverage of the First Watch Class B license approval and the Mall in Columbia consumption plaza license.)

","Summary of formal actions taken at the Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board meeting on May 13, 2025, including minutes approval and three license transfers/approvals.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6561183,"Howard County board grants First Watch a Class B beer, wine and liquor license for Columbia location",1131,72000,1203000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8&start=72&end=1203","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295773-f3b11ac5884ddef080cad8433e4bddc8/thumbnail_72000.jpg","/articles/6561183/Howard-County/Maryland/Howard-County-board-grants-First-Watch-a-Class-B-beer-wine-and-liquor-license-for-Columbia-location","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6561183-7224c763efe10c5bae644167e6c8d05c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151540&Signature=JkG8AFzumvxMhEpiKIzNtUFH7U1m8ijUYiIN4sSPLXJzPL4M9Jg~JpyITr1s06t-kjOUZgVKqy~eszdHtSlJ8Kw9LP1hsKx-30uXRTuQfDRRchz1u7YzRpssExVdhej4QfL5b68pIzb8oYjybY~EpWdi54GnqBaNWlbsOA1J~v-uE4-zEC0Vc3VFnE3MN1a1~mBy5pSEiBt~cTtnveH4nLjowYfmdCCrSA7KX8cSdpl8T7UUjUGPDMS7b28E9rbYqYOeoVk9lYFEYLnvDr7ToqmvXTDp7O-F2BtgJ7y3a7mXCwp9Zj4nhixeOfbEJAZ4nJ0x5WyuXxkDea1EZYmN8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board on May 13 approved a Class B beer, wine and liquor 7‑day license for First Watch Restaurants Inc. for a Columbia restaurant location, finding the application complete and the operator fit to hold the license.

Leanne Schreckengost, attorney for First Watch, introduced the applicants and said the proposed license is intended as an accommodation for guests; she and an applicant, Christopher Tomasso, told the board that First Watch’s national alcohol sales represent roughly 5% of total revenue. “This is basically just as an accommodation to the guests,” Schreckengost said.

Christopher Tomasso, who identified himself as president and chief executive officer of First Watch Restaurants Inc., testified that First Watch operates nearly 600 restaurants in 32 states and has operated in the county since 2018. Tomasso confirmed he holds seven First Watch licenses in Maryland and said those licenses have not been suspended or revoked. “None of them have been suspended or revoked,” he said.

Crystal Wagner, the restaurant’s operations manager and designated resident licensee, described staffing and training: the restaurant employs 32 people, 19 of whom will be involved in alcohol service, and staff training includes state‑approved alcohol awareness courses and First Watch’s internal alcohol policy tracked through a virtual learning system. Wagner said the patio has five tables, is surrounded by a fence with a single door, and will be monitored by servers and managers to ensure beverages remain within the patio area. “All guests must see either the host or hostess to be seated on the patio, and guests also have to come inside to check out with the host as well after they’re finished their meal,” Wagner said.

Board members asked about hours, training tailored to Maryland law, numbers of licensed First Watch locations in Maryland, and whether the notarized forms that had inconsistent state references (Florida scratched out, Maryland inserted) would pose an issue. First Watch counsel and staff said corporate training is general but includes Maryland specifics and that the notarization inconsistency would not be a problem.

Commissioners described the application as complete and the First Watch training and ID policies as comprehensive. Commissioner Hunt moved to approve the Class B license; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The board’s roll call was Chair Chen — yes; Commissioner Coleman — yes; Commissioner Hunt — yes; Commissioner Johnson — yes; Commissioner Kim — yes.

The board recorded that the restaurant’s hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily and that the licensee understands she would have to appear before the board for any reported violations. Counsel waived the applicant’s right to a written appeal.

","The Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board approved a Class B beer, wine and liquor 7‑day license for First Watch Restaurants Inc. at a Columbia location after applicants described staff training, patio controls and low projected alcohol sales.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Howard County board approves Mall in Columbia outdoor consumption license with security conditions

Votes at a glance: Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board, May 13, 2025

Howard County board grants First Watch a Class B beer, wine and liquor license for Columbia location