WASHINGTON — Critics have long said a liquor license moratorium is the reason why Georgetown is forgotten compared to flourishing neighborhoods like Adams Morgan, 14th Street and the Barracks Row area, where new restaurants have been prospering.
But starting today, a moratorium capping alcohol licenses ends; on Monday, the D.C. Alcohol Beverage Control Board is expected to start accepting new applications.
The moratorium was enacted nearly 30 years ago to appease residents fed up with loud, alcohol-fueled behavior. It capped the number of licenses available to restaurants and multipurpose facilities (theaters, for instance) within 1,800 feet of the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and N Streets Northwest.
The hope is that lifting the moratorium will make it easier for burgeoning chefs who are considering locating in Georgetown. The cap on liquor licenses for night clubs and taverns remains in place.
