La Plata, MD – La Hacienda II, 2796 Old Washington Road, Waldorf, will have to wait a while before getting a liquor license.
A request by Hector Flores and his two partners was denied by the Charles County Board of License Commissioners June 9 in La Plata.
Flores stated it was his first time in business and that he had never held an alcohol license in Maryland before.
Board Member Guy Black said there were too many vague answers from the applicants.
“You seem to be undertaking a pretty serious assignment to be the licensee,” Black stated. “It looks like you really didn’t come prepared today. You just don’t give us a sense that you are ready for this responsibility.
“You can’t come back here in a couple of months from now and tell us, ‘Well, I didn’t know, I wasn’t sure,’” he said.
Corporal Judith Thompson asked Flores how much experience he had in the alcohol service industry.
“Not much,” he admitted.
“How much in the restaurant industry?” the officer asked.
“Six months,” Flores said.
“So you’re starting from scratch,” she said.
Board Member Wayne Magoon asserted the applicant wasn’t quite ready.
“I listened to the three gentlemen talk about their investment, but I never heard who is closing at night,” he said. “One gentleman said he is going to be running daily between Virginia and Maryland. There are so many things I didn’t hear from this group. Based on all of the things that I’ve heard, I’m just not ready to go forward with this today.
“They need to get their staff trained and get their policies in place,” Magoon added. “Today, they just don’t appear to be ready. There’s too many people reaching in different places to make this thing happen. With a little more studying of what might be expected, they’ll be in better shape. Let’s come back in 30 days, get this thing together and do it right.”
The applicant was told to return in July with policies in place so that members could better judge their readiness.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com.