SNOW HILL – A West Ocean City business will be able to host live music on its second-floor deck following approval from the Worcester County Board of License Commissioners (BLC).
The BLC gave Pizza Tugos permission to have live music twice a week at the restaurant’s second-floor tiki bar. Though the board had concerns with the restaurant’s request to host four-piece bands, BLC members agreed to allow non-amplified entertainment of two pieces or less. BLC members said they were worried about adding to the noise and distractions at an already busy intersection.
“Our concern is not you as an operator,” said William Esham, BLC chairman. “There’s a lot of traffic. That is our concern.”
Attorney Hugh Cropper told the board that Pizza Tugos was interested in adding live music to complement the restaurant’s current entertainment options, which included an arcade and tiki bar.
“The business has been a success and a real asset to West Ocean City,” he said.
Pizza Tugos owner Scott Heise said the restaurant was one of the only late-night eateries in West Ocean City. He said he wanted to add to the facility’s existing offerings with live music on the deck.
“We would like to give the families a little more to do when they’re there,” he said.
Heise said the restaurant was surrounded by other commercial properties that wouldn’t be impacted by the addition of live music to Pizza Tugos. Cropper agreed and pointed out that the nearby go-kart track was already quite loud.
BLC member Charles Nichols asked what the restaurant would do to deaden the sound from the music.
“I don’t anticipate the noise to be a problem,” Heise said.
Esham pointed out that he hadn’t answered the question and asked if the restaurant would do anything to deaden the sound.
“I don’t anticipate there to be a need,” Heise said, adding that management would be on site to turn down the sound if the music was too loud.
Esham said the restaurant had sought entertainment privileges in 2013 and the board had turned down the request.
“Our concerns are the same today,” he said, adding that the board didn’t want to approve anything that would have a negative impact on public safety.
Heise said that since the 2013 request, Pizza Tugos had built the tiki bar on the deck. Because music was proposed for the Route 611 side of the deck, he said the tiki bar would buffer the music from Route 50. He added that Pizza Tugos was one of the only establishments that served alcohol in West Ocean City that didn’t have live entertainment.
Thomas Coates, the board’s attorney, said that when Bad Monkey recently asked for permission to offer live music, the board had approved the request but on the condition that the restaurant’s windows were closed.
“Entertainment on a public thoroughfare is a concern,” he said.
Heise said Pizza Tugos would do whatever was necessary to ensure the music didn’t cause a problem.
Though Nichols initially made a motion to deny the restaurant’s request, he withdrew it when Heise offered to seek approval for two-piece entertainment. In the end the board approved a motion to allow Pizza Tugos to host up to two pieces, non-amplified, twice a week from 5 p.m. to midnight as long as curtains were installed along the deck where the entertainment would be situated.
