In a vote of 7-3, the North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council supported a midnight closing hour, 7 days a week, for a new beer & wine license by Café Nuovo’s Vincent Ferrara at 76 Salem Street. The location was previously occupied by Paesan’s, La Brace and D’Amore’s. Ferrara’s family was previously involved with La Brace. The old license at the location had a 2:00 am closing hour but a default resulted in a bank auction transferring that license to the Upper Crust on Boylston Street.
The new restaurant will open at 7:00 am and serve breakfast and dinner, seven days a week. There are no plans for a bar. The owner is replacing the windows and will install new banner signage (no neon). The layout calls for 36 seats upstairs and 40 downstairs.
Closing time was the primary subject of the Council’s discussion and public comments. NEWNC President Stephen Passacantilli noted the Council’s Good Neighbor Agreement, voted on a few years ago, recommends an 11:00 pm closing during the week and midnight on weekends. Ferrara said he would agree to a midnight closing hour, 7 days per week, in his license, but not 11:00 pm which he thought would be uncompetitive. He noted Antico Forno has a 1:00 am license across the street and thought the later hours provided flexibility during Christmas season.
Vice-President Marie Simboli and council member Anne Devlin-Tagliaferro thought the council should stick to the hours stated in the NEWNC Good Neighbor Agreement. Anne suggested a 6-month probation with the 11:00 pm closing, but Ferrara was hesitant to accept that contingency. Council member Jorge Mendoza, spoke in favor of the application, saying that “later hours won’t change the neighborhood.” Michael Bonetti, a Hull St. resident, challenged that notion saying that “assumption is not clear.” Council member, Mario Alfano, voted in favor of the application, but noted that “midnight becomes 1:00 am by the time the customers leave the restaurant, get to their cars from and drive out of the neighborhood.”
Jorge Mendoza made a motion to support the application with a midnight closing time, 7 days a week. Luciana Burdi seconded the motion. The final council vote was 7-3 in favor of the license application. Supporting votes were cast by Burdi, Freni, Marx, Mendoza, Sproul and Tiberi. Opposing votes were cast by Kenny, Simboli, Devlin-Tagliaferro (NEWNC President Passacantilli does not vote unless there is a tie.)
More information on the North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council can be found at www.NEWNCBoston.org.
NEWRA, the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (www.NEWRA.org) will likely take up the issue at their August meeting. Both groups are advisory to the Licensing Board which will determine the final license approval and conditions.
