Liquor license approved for new Vera's owner

The new business is Vera’s Crab House in the White Sands area of Lusby. The landmark location had been operated previously as Vera’s White Sands Restaurant Marina Beach Club.

Del Ricco told the board the crab house will be a seasonal business, open between early spring through September. The business will employ between 30 to 35 workers and will be certified to serve alcohol.

As for the crab house’s customers, “everybody will be carded,” and wristbands will be given to those who are of the legal drinking age.

“We will have security,” Del Ricco said, adding that the service will likely be provided by off-duty police officers.

The original owner of the business was the legendary Vera Freeman, who purchased the property in the early 1950s and opened a Polynesian restaurant as part of a private yacht club at the site in 1967. Frequently garbed in Polynesian attire, Freeman was the subject of many newspaper, magazine and television stories in the Mid-Atlantic region for several decades.

Liquor board chair Beth Swoap said since the business will be closed for more than 30 days the liquor license will have to be given to authorities and will be returned when the crab house is ready to reopen.

“We have no physical application here,” board member Jack Smack noted.

Del Ricco promised someone from her office would provide the necessary paperwork.

David Weigel, the liquor board’s attorney, said the panel, while favoring the granting of the license, will need to take a formal vote in May.

Weigel pointed out that handling Del Ricco’s application remotely was “a one-time accommodation due to an emergency.”

During the April 23 meeting, the liquor board also heard from two other applicants, giving the green light to one.

Cynthia L. Green of North Beach and Manjinder Kaur of La Plata have, by way of transfer, been conditionally granted the Class A off sale license for the sale of beer and wine at Twin Beach Market in Chesapeake Beach.

Nick Ferrante, attorney for the applicants, said the lease transfer for the business is due in two weeks. The store will have four employees.

Three Calvert County men presented their request for a Class D on-sale license to sell beer, wine and liquor at their new business, Flynn’s Arcade & Bar in North Beach.

Matthew Byers and Francisco Jimenez, both of Huntingtown, along with John Tisdale of Chesapeake Beach said they plan to open the business in early July.

“We’re going to check all I.D.s at the door,” Byers said.

Since the trio’s use and occupancy permit was still pending, the board opted to delay a vote until its May meeting.

Mixed drink mixupA recent serving mistake at a local eatery was discussed during the meeting. No punitive actions were taken against the business, the Prince Frederick Applebee’s.

Leanne Schrecengost, the attorney representing the restaurant, said a server got confused when serving drinks, since one of the beverages, a Shirley Temple, which mimics an adult cocktail but contains no alcohol, was served to an adult, while a child was served a real cocktail.

“It was a very unfortunate incident,” Schrecengost said. “Everything has been resolved.”

“Mistakes like that can’t happen,” Dennis Benson, president and CEO of Potomac Dining Group, told the liquor board.

An apology was issued to the family, who filed the complaint but did not attend the hearing.

Weigel advised the board levy no fine but “put it on the record.”