Closing time in Montgomery County could be moving one hour later.
A bill before a State Senate Committee would make selling alcohol at Montgomery County restaurants legal until 3 a.m. on weekends and Sunday nights before Monday federal holidays. County restaurants can now sell alcohol until 2 a.m. on weekend nights and 1 a.m. on weekday nights.
The 1 a.m. weekday night closing time would remain.
The law, introduced by the county’s State Senate Delegation, is one of the recommendations of the county’s Nighttime Economy Task Force.
The bill would also act on another one of the Task Force’s recommendations by amending the county’s 50-50 ratio requirement for food and alcohol sold.
Now, restaurants must prove sales of at least as much food as alcohol. The bill would change that requirement to 40 percent of sales for food, with the remaining 60 percent allowed for alcohol.
A separate social venue license, which would not require any food to be sold but require higher licensing fees, was a recommendation of the Task Force but not included in this bill.
The State Senate’s Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee will take up the measure in a hearing at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
We’ve already heard some opposition to the idea of pushing last call back at Bethesda restaurants. What do you think?