SNOW HILL – A north Ocean City restaurant faces a substantial fine after failing to adhere to liquor purchasing regulations.
The Worcester County Board of License Commissioners (BLC) fined Sophia’s Italian Restaurant, located at 11405 Coastal Highway, $3,000 and issued a seven-day suspension after state investigators determined the owner had purchased liquor not from the requisite wholesaler but from a nearby liquor store. Officials said the suspension would be abated if the restaurant’s connections cooperated with investigators going forward.
“You should have known you couldn’t purchase from a retail outlet,” said William Esham, BLC chair.
The BLC hosted a hearing this week with Christopher and Sophia Christian of Sophia’s Restaurant after investigators from the Maryland Alcohol and Tobacco Commission found nearly 40 bottles of liquor in the restaurant that were purchased at a retail location. Licensees are required to purchase from wholesale companies and are not allowed to purchase from retail establishments.
According to Sophia Christian, who also owns the nearby Nori Sushi, she got the liquor license for Sophia’s Restaurant last May. She said when she initially reached out to wholesale companies, representatives didn’t want to talk to her until the license transfer was complete. When she found a representative willing to work with her, she said he also mentioned that he would install a window screen on the glass at the front of the restaurant.