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Georgetown BID Offers Guidance to Navigate Liquor License Application Process

The Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) welcomed the announcement Wednesday that the D.C. Government’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) will begin accepting applications for four licenses beginning at 8:30 am on Thursday, June 25. Georgetown is Washington's most iconic shopping destination, with more than 120 restaurants, cafes and bakeries in addition to more than 350 stores, salons and galleries. Welcoming new, high-quality restaurants is an important part of sustaining Georgetown’s status as a world-renowned neighborhood. The majority of the Georgetown commercial district is inside of one of five moratorium zones in the District of Columbia; others include Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle East & West, and Glover Park. In the past year several critically acclaimed concepts opened their doors in Georgetown, including Fiola Mare (led by James Beard award winner Fabio Trabocchi), Chez Billy Sud (from restauranteurs Eric and Ian Hilton), and a revamped Grill Room (led by James Beard award winner Frank Ruta). These debuts drew Washington Post editor Tom Siestma's conclusion that restaurant happenings in the neighborhood are “looking skyward." The ABRA announcement covers four restaurant licenses that became available from the cancellation of existing, but unused, licenses. “The BID frequently helps interested restaurant operators to understand and navigate the Georgetown retail landscape by providing demographic and market statistics, and connecting entrepreneurs with individuals and organizations that help businesses launch in our historic neighborhood,” says Joshua Hermias, the BID's economic development director. “We urge interested restaurants to contact us before and after June 25 because there are always opportunities to open high-quality, innovative restaurants in Georgetown.”