SNOW HILL – Officials granted liquor licenses to a trio of a new businesses at a hearing this week.
On Monday, the Worcester County Board of License Commissioners (BLC) approved license requests from a new pizza restaurant in Ocean Pines, a Mediterranean eatery in Ocean City and a new West Ocean City Bad Monkey location.
Attorney Joe Moore presented a beer, wine and liquor license request for Pines Public House & Eatery. The restaurant, being opened by the connections of nearby Fox’s Pizza Den, will be located in the building that previously housed Pizza Hut on Nicholas Lane.
“It’s kind of a pub and upscale eatery menu,” said Moore.
Moore said the building, which has been purchased by the partners behind Pines Public House, was undergoing renovations and was expected to open at the end of January. He pointed out the restaurant was being launched in the offseason intentionally.
“You open in the offseason so that your servers and all of your employees become used to the facility before you get slammed in the summer season,” Moore said.
Moore stressed that the facility was not seeking to host entertainment or games but was simply going to be a full-service restaurant. BLC members were quick to approve the license request.
“It’s a previously licensed facility,” BLC member Marty Pusey said.
Moore was also the attorney representing the connections of Bad Monkey West, which is under construction at 12902 Ocean Gateway in West Ocean City. He said the establishment was seeking a liquor license to offer a facility that mirrored the original Bad Monkey location on 58th Street. He pointed out the property had been home to restaurants serving alcohol previously.
Bad Monkey’s Kevin Myers said the restaurant would serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Diners will be seated on the building’s second floor, which will be enclosed with sliding glass panels.
At the board’s request, Myers agreed to ensure the second floor’s glass doors on the Route 50 side of the building were closed when the restaurant hosted live entertainment after 8 p.m.
“This looks like a nice addition to West Ocean City to me,” said William Esham, BLC chairman.
The board also granted a liquor license to Omega Eats, an 86-seat Mediterranean restaurant located at 2606 Philadelphia Ave. in Ocean City.
