#activateBOS: Recap of Liquor Licenses for the week of 10.5.16 (Hearing 10.5.16 & 10.6.16)
Follow Epicenter Community as we continue to monitor legislature. Keep up with us on Twitter under the hashtags #liftthecap & #activateBOS
New Business:
On Wednesday, 10.5.2016,
- Capital Green Corporation dba Kriola Bar & Restaurant located at 33 Hancock St, Dorchester MA, applied for a CV 7 Day Malt & Wine License. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- Anglo Hospitality, Inc dba The Haven located at 2 Perkins St in Jamaica Plain applied for a Common Victualler 7 Day All Alcohol License, On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- Sagarmatha Corporation dba Himalayan Bistro located at 1735–1739 Centre St in West Roxbury applied for a Commonc Victualler 7 Day All Alcohol License. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
Old Business:
This week was the week that the board finally began voting on which restaurants to award liquor licenses from the large pool of applicants that applied throughout the month of September.
- Bennington1004 LLC dba Renegade’s Pub to be located at 1004 Bennington St, Boston MA (East Boston) applied for a CV 7 Day All Alcohol License on 9.14.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- 24 New Street Restaurant LLC to be located at 6–26 New St (East Boston) applied for a CV 7 Day All Alcohol License on 9.14.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- Bey Group, LLC dba Mida located at 782 Tremont St (Roxbury), applied for a CV 7 Day All Alcohol License on 9.14.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- Cent’ Anni Corporation dba Victoria’s Diner located at 1024 Massachusetts Avenue (Roxbury) applied for a Common Victualler 7 Day Alcohol License on 9.21.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- BUH2 Inc located at 52 Temple Pl in Boston (Downtown Boston) applied for a Common Victualler 7 Day Alcohol License on 9.21.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- Commonwealth Hospitality, LLC dba Taqueria located at 2297 Dorchester Avenue (Lower Mills, Dorchester) applied for a Common Victualler 7 Day Alcohol License on 9.21.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
- Monument 251, LLC dba Monument located at 251 Main St (Charlestown) applied for a Common Victualler 7 Day Alcohol License on 9.21.2016. On Thursday, 10.6.2016, the board granted their request.
We are still waiting on the official docket from the Licensing Board which has explicit language concerning which businesses recieved restricted vs unrestricted licenses. We’ll update as soon as we receive the forms.
Our Thoughts:
Chairman Christine A. Pulgini made a statement before the board develed into the long list of liquor license applications. She wanted to point out that Ayanna Pressley’s push to change legislation (which resulted in 75 new liquor licenses to be dolled out over 3 years in the city of Boston) was enacted to help economic development in underserved areas such as Roxbury, Dorchester and East Boston.
The board’s decision process was exactly what we wanted to see when it comes to legislation promoting equity across the board. Out of the 9 licenses awarded toward, 5 of them are going to underserved areas in Boston, including 2 licenses in Roxbury, 1 in Dorchester and 2 in East Boston. The board explicitly stated that awarding Mida an unrestricted liquor license would be a milestone considering Mida is black owned and operated (by Douglass Williams). There’re only 5 black owned restaurants in the city of Boston that’ve obtained unrestricted liquor licenses.
Out of the 9 licenses awarded toward, 5 of them are going to underserved areas in Boston…
The board denied applications submitted by Antico Forno & Terramia Ristorante- the North End, the board decided, is already well saturated with restaurants that have liquor licenses. Similar decisions were made for Wahlburgers’ application (they submitted their application on 9.14.2016) & AMC South Bay Center (submitted application on 9.21.2016). Both locations aren’t due to open up until the middle of 2017- the board decided it would unfair to award either business liquor licenses since the liquor licenses would not currently help promote economic growth in the area.
To end this recap, we are so elated that Douglass Williams was able to obtain a liquor license for Mida, which will be opening in November! This isn’t the end of inequity in our city but it’s movement in the right direction.
As noted in weeks past, there is an amendment to language that was put before the state to include Boston in the Governor’s previous bill to lift the cap on the number of liquor licenses available to perspective restaurant owners in the state.
We encourage all of you to reach out to your city and state reps in order to encourage them to vote to lift the cap on the regulatory number of licenses within the city.
To find your city councilors: https://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/
To find your state representatives: https://malegislature.gov/People/CityList
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