Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services

Award Year
2021-2022


 

Supplemental Award $50,000
Education Award $10,000
Focus Area Education | Awareness, Regulatory | Enforcement, Capacity Building | Collaboration

Responsible Beverage Service Training

To prevent overservice and service of alcohol to minors in Montgomery County, ABS partnered with Cooper Communications on a multi-point training program. Together they organized responsible beverage service training for Montgomery County ABS personnel, Montgomery County Revenue Authority’s food and beverage employees, front-of-house staff at local visual art venues, and local restaurant staff, among others. They also oversaw the Alcohol Awareness Certificate exams. From August 2021 through July 2022, 193 students received Alcohol Awareness Certifications in Montgomery County. 

Beginning May 30, 2022, Maryland required that all alcohol awareness exams be delivered in-person. As such, all Responsible Beverage Service and Policy (RBSP) training was conducted in-person with 63 participants in each class. After the class, students reported that although 67% had never participated in an alcohol awareness class, 87% had knowledge of prohibition and how Montgomery County’s alcohol control system works by the end of the course. 

In addition to RBSP training and overseeing the certificate exams, Cooper Communications updated the Montgomery County ALERT curriculum. ALERT is designed to educate Montgomery County servers, sellers, managers, and owners about alcohol beverage regulatory compliance by learning how to develop responsible alcohol policies, review issues identified by county and state enforcement agencies, and meet and network with peers and county officials. The revised curriculum includes an expanded and tightened class outline, a new script created by the Montgomery County ABS Community Outreach Manager, and new images. The revised curriculum is currently being tested and will soon be used.

Annual Resource Swag Bags

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that approximately 20% of new U.S. businesses fail during the first two years of being open. To help new license holders thrive in Montgomery County and to provide them with the alcohol compliance information they need on a day-today basis, ABS used part of NABCA’s education award to purchase "swag bags" containing promotional items to help businesses operate successfully in the county. The bags, which are provided during the facility’s inspection, promoted compliance and responsible service practices. Each bag contained an ABS resource calendar, a “We Check IDs” sign for tobacco and alcohol sales in both English and Spanish, an ID checking guide, a UV blacklight, a small bottle opener with ABS resources, and a magnifying glass with a light. 

As of June 2022, ABS had distributed 118 swag bags to new license holders and their staff to promote compliance and responsible service practices. Montgomery County allows for alcohol consumption in outdoor areas. The ABS gave participants, organizers, and license holders a newly-branded ABS swag bag containing posters and wristbands that easily identified people over the age of 21 to prevent service to minors. The swag bag items complemented other materials and served as a reminder of ABS's visit and the recommendations that came along with it. Items such as the calendar and ID Guide provided important information that these new businesses needed to remain compliant. The swag bags also helped build positive relationships and increase social reach to new license holders and the general public.

Sociable City Summit

With a NABCA award, ABS was able to send several staff members to attend Responsible Hospitality Institute’s (RHI) Sociable City Summit. The summit convenes leaders, practitioners, and technical experts on night-time planning and management and share best practices and stay up to date on the latest developments in the hospitality indsutry. ABS staff also participated as panelists during one of the education sessions. By attending the summit, ABS staff members were able to learn about responsible hospitality practices when it comes to night-time economy. ABS also participated as panelists during the Montgomery County Showcase session, where they discussed concierge-oriented licensing, the First Year Intervention program, virtual alcohol trainings, and Montgomery County’s Safety Alliance.
 

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/abs/