The Caroline County Board of License Commissioners reviewed annual renewals for dozens of liquor and business licenses at a regularly scheduled meeting and approved multiple renewals pending receipt of required documentation.

The board’s staff summarized the status of each application, noting common outstanding items: the 2025 business license, a release from the comptroller’s office showing sales-tax clearance, state-approved alcohol-awareness (TIPS/ServSafe) certifications for listed employees, certificates of good standing from the Maryland SDAT (State Department of Assessments and Taxation), workers’ compensation certificates and, in some cases, corporate paperwork proving authority to sign or to remove a license holder.

Why it matters: Licenses cannot be issued or finalized until required state and county documents are on file. The board repeatedly approved renewals “pending” missing items, which allows businesses to continue operating while staff follows up on outstanding paperwork.

Among the items the board addressed were: Bargain Beverage, where staff said a short-term certificate of permission had been granted to allow the current personal representative (Downes) to hold the license through the license year and a future transfer application to Rodney Dalton and Linda Stutzman is expected once corporate paperwork is completed; Preston Super Soda, where a letter from a licenseholder asking to be removed was on file but the board awaited the corporate resolution; and Red Light Liquors, which had previously served a three-day suspension and — according to staff — had picked up its license after serving that suspension and paying the stated fine(s).

The board’s staff also reported alcohol-vs.-food sales percentages used to determine whether an operation qualifies as a restaurant license: Caroline’s of Denton reported alcohol sales at 0.21% of sales; Koei’s 404 restaurant and lounge at 0.04%; Denton Diner at 0.02%; Earthtones Café reported alcohol sales at 0.01%; and Market Street Public House at 0.29%. In several cases these low percentages were cited as the reason establishments remain classified as restaurant-type licenses rather than primarily-alcohol retailers.

Other recurring documentation issues included missing TIPS/alcohol-awareness certificates for one or more employees (several establishments), expired workers’ compensation certificates (Greensboro’s Quick Shop, Shorestop #240 and others), missing SDAT certificates of good standing (B & B Tavern, Try Me Warehouse Foods) and questions about proof of property-owner signatures (Denton Shell: property owner listed as 1103 Shore Highway LLC; staff sought verification that Donald Santiago was an authorized signer for that LLC).

Staff also reminded the board that a county change to application fees will take effect for new or transfer applications filed after July 1; application fees received prior to July 1 will remain at the previous rate. Staff explained that any change to recurring license fees would require state-level action.

Several businesses were reported as otherwise compliant and ready to be finalized once the missing items were provided. For example, El Chupacabra (Lupe) had submitted its 2025 business license and, per staff, was ready for approval. Foster’s Mini Mart and Mike’s Corner had their business licenses in hand and were reported ready to proceed.

The board recessed briefly while staff retrieved a document and later reconvened. At the end of the meeting a motion to adjourn was made and approved.

The review was administrative and procedural: staff presented renewal packets, flagged missing items, and the board approved or approved-pending as appropriate. No ordinance or statute names were cited in full during the discussion; staff referenced state-approved alcohol-awareness programs and state agency releases (SDAT and the comptroller’s office) as required supporting documentation for renewals.

Looking ahead: staff will send letters to applicants missing documentation and will return items to the board for final issuance once the comptroller’s releases, SDAT certificates, TIPS/ServSafe certificates, workers’ compensation forms or corporate resolutions are received.