Restaurant Association of Maryland endorses bill aimed at ending county’s alcohol monopoly
The Restaurant Association of Maryland says its members want Montgomery County’s monopoly on the distribution of alcohol to end. In a letter sent Wednesday to the county’s state legislative delegation, the association’s senior vice president, Melvin Thompson, wrote that, “Many county business owners in our industry believe that alcohol distribution reforms are long overdue.” Dozens of local restaurants are members of the association, which lobbies for and offers legal assistance to members in addition to other resources.
Thompson wrote in the letter that initially the restaurant association had supported the County Council-proposed reform that would privatize the distribution of special order products—certain craft beers and wines. However, Thompson writes that at the time the association offered its support, “it was the only alternative on the table.” Since then, Del. Bill Frick and other legislators have put forth a bill that would call for a referendum to let voters decide if the monopoly on distribution and the retail sale of all liquor should end, which the restaurant association now supports.
County officials have warned that passing the referendum could doom the county’s Department of Liquor Control and result in the loss of the department’s more than $30 million in annual profits, which they say is integral to the county’s operating budget.
In his letter, Thompson also attached anecdotes from a member survey conducted by the restaurant association. Those anecdotes focus on complaints frequently shared by members of the local restaurant industry about the DLC, including that it provides poor customer service, makes inaccurate deliveries and frequently runs out of certain products.
Tommy Joe’s last day on Montgomery Lane scheduled for Feb. 13
The Tommy Joe's entrance on Montgomery Lane via Google Maps
There’s only one week left to visit Tommy Joe’s Restaurant before it closes its longtime Montgomery Lane location. The Bethesda bar plans to serve its last drinks Feb. 13 before moving to the former location of Urban Heights at 7940 Norfolk Ave. Owner Alan Pohoryles partnered with the Robert Wiedmaier Restaurant Group to move Tommy Joe’s to the space that previously housed Urban Heights and Roof Bethesda. Pohoryles said in January he’s hoping to reopen the bar and restaurant sometime in late February or early March at the new Woodmont Triangle location.
Tropical Smoothie Café opens Monday in Bethesda
The new smoothie and sandwich shop opened for the first time at 7 a.m. Monday at 4731 Elm St., across the street from Jaleo. The restaurant offers sandwiches, tacos and salads as well as a breakfast menu. Smoothies range from fruit varieties to those made with kale and spinach. The Bethesda location is owned by franchisee Oubab Khalil, an Alexandria, Virginia, resident, according to the company. The nationwide chain has more than 460 locations.
