Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services Reopens Its White Oak and Falls Grove Liquor and Wine Stores

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) has reopened its White Oak Liquor and Wine store today, Wednesday, Dec. 30 and will reopen its Falls Grove store tomorrow, Dec. 31 at 10 a.m. The stores, located at 11239 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring (White Oak) and 14937E Shady Grove Rd. in Rockville (Falls Grove), were temporarily closed after an employee at each store tested positive for COVID-19.

The number of employees in quarantine caused staffing shortages, which forced ABS to close the stores. After the closures, a specialized unit performed a deep cleaning and sanitization at each location, which included cleaning all surfaces, products and fogging with specialized machines.

In addition to deep cleaning, all ABS stores have installed plexiglass at each register to create a barrier between consumers and staff and have placed hand sanitizer stations by the front doors. Staff is frequently disinfecting surfaces and is encouraging social distancing of at least six feet. Signage reminding customers to engage in social distancing and of the County health order requiring residents to wear facemasks while shopping have been posted in each store as well. Staff are also limiting the number of people who can shop at one time to ensure distancing can be maintained.

ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits for Montgomery County. ABS operates 25 beer, wine and spirits stores and one spirits only store in Poolesville. It manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, ABS profits are used to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the County general fund to pay for resident services that would otherwise be funded by County tax dollars.

Learn more about ABS by visiting the website and by following ABS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Release ID: 20-819
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta 240-372-2282
Categories: ABS