After One Month, Still No Salons Serving Alcohol

The Department of Liquor Control has not received any applications for a permit that would allow salons and barbershops to serve wine and beer

August 5, 2014 11:01 a.m.

The new law went into effect July 1, but Montgomery County’s Department of Liquor Control says it has not received any applications from salons or barbershops for a new license that would allow them to serve wine or beer.

“We’re getting a lot of phone calls from people asking questions,” said Kathie Durbin, the chief of DLC’s division of licensure, regulation and education. “But we haven’t received any applications yet.”

Drybar Bethesda lobbied for the bill in this year’s General Assembly in order to serve wine, champagne or beer at its Bethesda Row location, as it does at its other locations throughout the U.S. In May, shortly before the bill was signed, Drybar founder Alli Webb said the Bethesda location was the only one of its 47 37 sites where the company ran into problems offering complimentary drinks.

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Drybar did not respond to a request for comment Monday, but Durbin said the last she heard from the business, it had given the application to its lawyers.

Under the new law, salons or barbershops in the county can apply for a $100 permit that allows the serving of a 5- ounce glass of wine or beer per customer.

Durbin said she’s not sure why other salons have not applied for the license, but said it could have to do with a lack of knowledge about the permit and about serving alcohol.

“These limited licenses are for businesses that weren’t built to sell or serve alcohol,” Durbin said. “It may be nerve-wracking because they’re going to be visited by inspectors [if they receive a permit].”

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