Chipotle is asking the city for permission to serve beer and margaritas as part of its new location at 36 Market Space.

"This would be the first restaurant chain that I'm aware of that would have a liquor license," Deputy City Clerk Theresa Bucalo said. "It's going to be very interesting."

City code requires that at least one of the three applicants on a liquor license be an Annapolis resident.

Bucalo has not seen the application yet, but she said it isn't unheard of for Annapolis to give companies based outside the city permission to serve alcohol. Chain hotels like Marriott and Loews have a local employee serve as a license holder in order to obtain their permits.

"They will give that person maybe a small stock option, and they will be part of the company," Bucalo said.

The nationwide burrito chain first announced its desire to add a downtown location this August when it applied for building permits for the space currently occupied by Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers.

The request for a liquor license is part of Chipotle's overall special exception application that will come before the Board of Appeals on Nov. 20. The application asks the city to transfers Hard Bean's license to Chipotle as well as allow the burrito chain to remove the bookstore from the permit and increase seating from 34 to 47 seats.

The application adds that Hard Bean "will be relocated to an adjacent space directly around the corner from its present location."

Hard Bean owner Gary Amoth has not yet responded to comment about whether he's amenable to transferring the liquor license.

This isn't Chipotle's first time applying for a downtown location. In 2006, it wanted 122 Dock St., but the deal fell through due to dispute over a zoning restriction that requires all silverware to be non-disposable.

In its application for 36 Market Space, Chipotle promises to provide metal silverware.