27-Year Ban on Liquor Licenses in Georgetown is Ending

Bottoms up: the ban on new liquor licenses in Georgetown is over, and that could mean big things for businesses here.

As we reported in February, three influential groups decided that now is the time to end a 27-year ban on new liquor licenses, a ban that many believe has caused Georgetown to fall behind neighborhoods like Adams Morgan and U Street in terms of popularity and development.

That moratorium officially comes to an end on Monday, when the D.C. Alcohol Beverage Control Board is expected to start accepting new applications, according to a WTOP report.

The ban was originally enacted because residents didn't like the loud and raucous behavior that often comes with bars, capping the number of licenses available to restaurants and other facilities within 1,800 feet of the Wisconsin Avenue and N Street intersection.

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission had been one of the main proponents of the ban, but they were able to reach an agreement with the Citizens Association of Georgetown.

In a white paper submitted last September, the Georgetown Business Improvement District said that the moratorium "contributes to the perception that it is too difficult to open a restaurant in Georgetown compared to other DC neighborhoods, compounding real challenges stemming from rental rates on M Street.

"This White Paper concludes that it is in the best interest of the community to allow the broad liquor license moratorium in Georgetown to sunset, and that the business and residential communities should work together to encourage new high-quality restaurants to open in Georgetown while discouraging restaurants that have negative impacts on the neighborhood’s quality of life," it adds.