Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board Meeting - February 24, 2026

The Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board held a hybrid public hearing on February 24, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Banneker Room (3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD) and via WebEx. The board considered three liquor license transfer applications. All persons who testified were sworn in.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of February 10, 2026: Approved unanimously by a vote of 5–0 (Chair Chen, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Hunt, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Kem).

Discussion Items

1. Transfer – Class A Beer, Wine & Liquor 7-Day Off Sale License (Jessup Discount Liquors)

• From: Five Nines, Inc. t/a Jessup Discount Liquors (Muraleedhar Kommula and Sai Sudha Paladugu) for a 2,500 sq. ft. package store at 7880-F Washington Boulevard, Elkridge, MD 21075.
• To: Jessup Liquors, Inc. t/a Jessup Discount Liquors in the name of Manjit Kaur for the same location.
• Representation: Martin Johnson (Maryland Liquor License Services) represented the applicant.
• Testimony: Manjit Kaur (applicant) and her son Kunwar Singh (DJ) testified. They have been training since November 2025, renovated the store, retained existing employees, and plan to target 50% of products to the Hispanic customer base (70% beer, 25% spirits, 5% wine sales). All family members are alcohol awareness certified. The store hours are weekdays 9 a.m.–9 p.m., weekends 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Manjit Kaur will be the resident agent, present about 30 hours per week; her husband 60 hours; son 25 hours. They will use ID scanners and follow all record-keeping rules.
• Board Questions: Board members asked about experience, fake ID detection, product mix, and safety measures. The board expressed satisfaction with the family’s preparation and the store’s improvements.
• Outcome: Motion to grant the transfer was made, seconded, and passed unanimously (5–0). Manjit Kaur waived her right to appeal. The license is approved.

2. Transfer – Class B Beer, Wine & Liquor 7-Day On Sale License (Royal Cuisine of India)

• From: Naan Stop, LLC t/a London Curry House (Rajiv Raj) for a 1,249 sq. ft. restaurant at 7500 Montpelier Road, #104, Laurel, MD 20724.
• To: Golden Hub, LLC t/a Royal Cuisine of India in the names of Severine Dsouza and Aaron Souza for the same location.
• Representation: Abraham Hurdle represented the applicants.
• Testimony: Aaron Souza and Severine Dsouza testified. Severine Dsouza has owned House of India (under Trinity Hub LC) for about 14 months with no violations. The new restaurant will have a food-to-alcohol ratio of 85–95% food. Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (Mon–Thu) and 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. (Fri–Sat). Aaron Souza will work 10–20 hours per week; Severine Dsouza will be present full-time. They plan to retain most existing staff. Alcohol sales will be 80% beer, plus wine and cocktails.
• Application Issues: The board noted the application was filled out sloppily with cross-outs, different colors, missing answers, and inconsistencies (only one applicant listed in Section 6 but two signatures). Abraham Hurdle took responsibility and offered to submit a clean, typed application by the end of the week. The board expressed concern that poor record-keeping might reflect on future compliance, especially given the applicants’ relatively short license history (14 months).
• Board Deliberation: Members discussed whether to postpone the hearing. The board’s counsel recommended postponement because the incomplete application (missing background answers) was egregious and prevented proper review.
• Outcome: Motion to postpone the hearing until a corrected full application is submitted was made, seconded, and passed unanimously (5–0). The board will reconsider the matter upon receipt of the new application.

3. Transfer – Class B Beer, Wine & Liquor 7-Day On Sale License (River House on Main)

• From: River House Pizza Co., LLC t/a River House Pizza Co. (Nathan Sowers) for a 1,500 sq. ft. restaurant at 10039 Baltimore National Pike, Suite C, Ellicott City, MD 21042.
• To: River House Pizza Co., LLC t/a River House on Main (Nathan Sowers) for a 3,592 sq. ft. restaurant at 8293 Main Street, Ellicott City, MD 21043.
• Representation: Nathan Sowers appeared pro se.
• Testimony: Nathan Sowers stated he trained at Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant, which closed after floods. He purchased the building at 8293 Main Street (the former Tersiguel’s) to return to historic Ellicott City. He has held a liquor license for nine years and a statewide catering license. The new restaurant will be a pizzeria bistro with 75% food and 25% alcohol sales. Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (Mon–Sat, with Friday and Saturday until 9:30 p.m.). He is the only current alcohol-awareness certified person; he plans to have all leadership (including his wife Kimberly Kepness and manager Katie) trained. The building’s capacity remains 51 upstairs and 49 downstairs. He will card everyone and use ID scanners.
• Board Questions: Board members asked about staff certification, opening date (April 2026), and menu (pizza, French-Italian dishes, baked goods, homemade pasta). The board noted the applicant’s experience and the community support.
• Outcome: Motion to approve the transfer with a condition that all leadership positions receive alcohol awareness training before opening. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (5–0). Nathan Sowers waived his right to appeal. The license is approved contingent on the training condition.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of February 10, 2026: Approved 5–0.
• Case 1 (Jessup Discount Liquors): Transfer granted 5–0 with no conditions.
• Case 2 (Royal Cuisine of India): Hearing postponed 5–0 pending submission of a corrected, complete application.
• Case 3 (River House on Main): Transfer granted 5–0 with condition that all leadership positions (starting with Kimberly Kepness and manager Katie) be alcohol-awareness certified before opening.
• Next Meeting: Scheduled for March 10, 2026, and March 24, 2026 (subject to change based on proceedings).