Restaurant chains will expand with liquor law

Attorneys for several of the nation's top restaurant chains have flooded the county liquor board with questions about a new law that expands the number of licenses a company can hold from two to six.

But those inquiries aren't likely to translate into new restaurants and bars for up to a year as companies decide where they want to build, draw up site plans, determine building costs and make sure they meet the law's requirements.

"It's an expensive proposition," said Towson-based attorney Charles E. Brooks, who represents five national chains interested in opening new county locations or expanding operations here.

"When...