Hollywood resident and former St. Mary’s County commissioner Thomas F. McKay plans on reopening Breton Bay Fine Wine and Spirits in Leonardtown.
McKay appeared before the St. Mary’s County Alcohol and Beverage Board on Feb. 9 and requested a beer, wine and liquor license and 365-day beer and wine tasting permit. Both were approved 4-0 with one member absent.
The business closed along with a McKay’s grocery store at 40845 Merchants Lane in July 2022 when McKay chose not to renew his lease.
He told the board that he operated the grocery and liquor stores for 15 years. He said the liquor store was very successful, adding that he’s gotten a lot of requests to reopen it.
He noted that the store expanded from 4,000 to 5,000 square feet in 2019.
One of the conditions for the new store will be to build a wall between the store and the supermarket, which McKay said also plans to reopen under new ownership in the summer.
He will have 90 days upon opening to complete Responsible Alcohol Service Training. He will also need approval of the state fire marshal.
McKay sold his Charlotte Hall and Hollywood grocery stores to Sean Earley last year. The Hollywood store has since reopened as a Bradfords Neighborhood Market. The Charlotte Hall store recently closed.
St. Mary’s County Commissioner Eric Colvin (R) recently said that both the Charlotte Hall and Leonardtown stores will become Shoppers grocery stores.
In a Feb. 8 Facebook post, Sasho Consulting said a Shoppers will be returning to the Patuxent Crossing Shopping Center in California, previously known as San Souci. That store was also previously a McKay’s for a short time.