Looney's Pub begins foray into College Park bar scene

Looney's Pub in College Park, Md. opens its doors Sept. 30, 2011 to mark its third location in the state. With its state-of-the art ID scanning technology, underage bar hoppers who once traversed the city's bar scene with fake IDs — the very ones who once flocked to the now-defunct Thirsty Turtle — won't make it much farther than the entrance, as owner Bill Larney made clear his intention to keep the bar a sound option for city nightlife.

(Jim Bach/ Inside the Shell)

The new pub snags retail space in the Varsity, College Park's most recent juggernaut undertaking for student housing and mixed use purposes. Owner Bill Larney says the new bar is bound for success, and its drink prices put it above the fray in a business district lined with competition, much of which is within walking distance of the campus. (Jim Bach/Inside the Shell)

Among the praise from bar patrons, customers laud its open patio dining area. University of Maryland students are also excited with the venue's dance floor, live entertainment, and strict policy towards keeping underage patrons out of the bar. (Jim Bach/Inside the Shell)