OC’s Paddock Changing To Country Western Theme

SNOW HILL — At the November Board of License Commissioners (BLC) meeting a tabled application for a beer and wine license was approved along with two applications for alcohol beverage license transfers.
The board first made a ruling on an application from the Kaddy Mart, located at 426 West Market Street in Snow Hill, whose case was originally discussed last month. During their October meeting, the BLC heard consistent testimony from the neighborhood supporting a license, with only one resident opposed to the idea. An additional resident, Mark Nixon, admitted to having concerns this week, but only with how late Kaddy Mart would be allowed to serve alcohol.
Attorney Pete Cosby, on behalf of Kaddy Mart, promised Nixon that the business would be diligent in keeping customers from disturbing residents.
“Obviously, we’re totally sympathetic to your concerns about noise and everything,” said Cosby.
Framing Kaddy Mart as something of an “urban renewal project,” which would drastically renovate the current building, Cosby stressed to the board the need for an alcoholic beverage license for the business to stay afloat.
“I think you have heard from the neighborhood that there is a need for this,” he said. “This business can’t function without a beer and wine license.”
The BLC granted the license on the condition that all alcohol sales cease by 10 p.m. and that before the actual license is awarded, Kaddy Mart will need to demonstrate the renovations promised, including improvements to the store and the parking lot.
Following Kaddy Mart, the board granted a pair of transfer of beverage license requests.
The first was for Pirates Den, currently located at 3201 Baltimore Avenue but moving to 3400 Coastal Highway in Ocean City. The transfer was a normal hand-off, with the business only changing location not ownership. As Pirates Den has operated for 18 years with only one code violation, the BLC saw no reason to protest and allowed the business to keep all entertainment privileges, including up to four pieces of live entertainment two nights a week and a DJ once per week.
The second transfer was from Rodento Enterprises, Inc. to Cowboy Coast Hospitality Group, LLC for the new Cowboy Coast Cantina to be located at 1701 Philadelphia Avenue in Ocean City. The cantina will be unique in that it will be the only country western style bar in Ocean City.
The cantina will be replacing The Paddock, another bar and nightclub. Because of the huge thematic switch, work needs to begin as soon as possible, according to attorney Joe Moore, who represented Cowboy Coast.
“There are some extensive renovations that are going to be made,” he said. “Changing the theme from The Paddock to a country western bar, we need to get working on that in January.”
In keeping with the country western vibe, the cantina made a request for a mechanical bull to be included in the entertainment privileges. Moore acknowledged that the BLC has had issues with granting licenses mechanical bulls in the past, but dismissed earlier attempts as “a spectacle” that bar owners didn’t take seriously. It will be treated with a lot more respect at the cantina, promised owner Mark Bogosh.
“This is a permanent, professional installation,” he told the board.
The license transfer was granted on the condition that Bogosh leave his former license in Baltimore. He said he has already agreed to do that. Permission for the mechanical bull was also granted, albeit on a probationary status.