Howard County board unanimously grants Class B license to Al's Love Cafe

The Howard County Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board unanimously granted a Class B beer, wine and liquor on-sale license to Al's Love Cafe LLC (d/b/a Al's Love Cafe) at 3785 Hamilton Street in Ellicott City.

Applicant Alarise (Alaris) Pilato de Palacios told the board the cafe opened in February 2026 and operates as an inclusive employment and training environment for neurodiverse individuals. She said the liquor program is intended to complement evening dining — not to turn the cafe into a bar — and estimated alcohol would make up "10% to 15%" of sales going forward. "Our request for a liquor license is not an attempt to transform Al's Love Cafe into a bar," she said.

Commissioners praised the mission and said the modest projected alcohol sales and the applicant's on-site management made them comfortable approving the license, while reminding the applicant that servers must be alcohol-awareness certified and records must be maintained per board rules. The applicant waived the right to appeal on the record and the board adjourned the meeting.