Cornerstone Grill and Loft, a fixture near the University of Maryland for nearly 30 years, is set to go dry starting Friday after Prince George's County regulators refused to pause a 90-day suspension of its liquor license. The Board of License Commissioners also hit the College Park bar with a $7,500 fine, leaving the business scrambling just days before Halloween weekend and a planned concert appearance by DJ Pauly D.
The board's decision, handed down this week, denied Cornerstone's request to temporarily halt the suspension while it pursues an appeal, according to The Diamondback. Cornerstone's attorney had asked the board in an Oct. 19 letter to halt the suspension for 90 days while the establishment appealed the charges and filed a petition for judicial review, but the board declined that request, the outlet reported.
The suspension itself is scheduled to take effect Friday, Oct. 30, and run for three months, according to FOX 5 DC. The same report notes the board also ordered the establishment to pay a $7,500 fine on top of the suspension. Ninety days out from Friday lands on Jan. 28, 2027, per the Diamondback's count of the timeline.
What Led to the Suspension
The board's findings centered on a violation of a county regulation concerning threats to neighborhood peace and safety, based on video evidence and testimony from four University of Maryland police officers, the station's report indicates. The Baltimore Sun reported that the bar allegedly overserved patrons and served alcohol to customers under 21, leading to the suspension of its liquor license.
Cornerstone management pushed back on the severity of the penalty in a statement to the same account, saying the bar is not permanently closing and is actively pursuing all available legal options to challenge the decision. Management also argued that a 90-day closure would result in losing all 70 of its employees, according to a separate account from the student newspaper.
Pauly D Date and Decades of Local Ties in Question
Among the casualties of the timing is a planned Nov. 5 appearance by reality-TV personality DJ Pauly D, an event listed on Cornerstone's calendar before the suspension was finalized, per the same fox5dc.com report. Cornerstone first opened in 1997 and has anchored the College Park bar scene near campus for nearly three decades, the station noted.
The bar has weathered threats to its survival before. In 2020, the College Park community rallied to raise over $25,000 in under 24 hours to help keep Cornerstone afloat amid pandemic restrictions and falling revenue, fox5dc.com reported at the time. Whether a similar show of support emerges as the bar heads into its court fight remains to be seen.
The Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners maintains public listings of establishments found in violation of county liquor rules going back to 2022, according to the Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners. For now, Cornerstone's legal team is left to pursue its appeal and petition for judicial review while the clock on the suspension starts Friday.
