Several North End restaurants presented their applications for one of the new all-alcohol licenses coming available in Boston this year. In 2014, the State legislature raised the city’s 970 limit by adding 75 new licenses. Sixty of the new licenses are being designated for underserved neighborhoods (Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, and Roxbury). The other 15 are “unrestricted,” meaning they can be used anywhere in the city.
North End businesses are pursuing upgrades from their existing beer/wine licenses for one of the ten new all-alcohol licenses expected to come available this year. Scores of other applicants from throughout the city are expected to also apply questioning whether any will actually end up in the neighborhood. All-alcohol licenses allow establishments to serve hard liquor beyond cordials, such as popular signature cocktails.
On Monday night, the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) unanimously supported the new applications, presented by Attorney William Ferullo and the owners of Cantina Italiana (Fiore Colella and Patricia Colella), Mare (Frank DePasquale and Joseph DePasquale), Monica’s Trattoria (Jorge, Frank and Patrick Mendoza) and Ducali Pizzeria & Bar (Philip Frattaroli). It is likely that other prominent North End restaurateurs such as Carla Gomes (Antico Forno, Terramia), Nick Varano (Strega, Rina’s), among others, will also apply for all-alcohol upgrades.
The North End requests will not directly increase the approximately 90 licenses already in the neighborhood. If awarded one of the new all-alcohol licenses, the existing beer/wine licenses would go back to the city. The restaurants are not requesting additional seating or extended hours with these applications.
As applicants themselves, NEWNC President Philip Frattaroli and member Jorge Mendoza recused themselves from the license votes. Secretary John Pregmon ran the meeting during the license session.
View the video above for more explanation by Attorney Ferullo about the new licenses and the individual applications by the North End establishments.
give them the liquor licenses, but give their valet spaces back to the residents.
Truth, I agree with you on valet spaces being given back to residents. The No.End needs more
liquor licenses like we need Cancer. The No. End has been bombarded with Restaurants and Bars,
with the City having no regard for residents. Most of the Restaurant Owners do not live in the
No. End & those that do, basically live in secluded areas of the No. End & are no way affected by
the insanity that takes place on our neighborhood streets. The Licenses should be used to help
develop other parts of the City of Boston which struggle economically. The No.End is probably the
smallest section of the city with an over abundance of Restaurants & Bars. It seems like a never
ending battle for liquor licenses. Truth, the bottom line is Money and Greed. These liquor licenses
should be going to Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, East Boston and
Hyde Park. We are not N.Y.C., and we never will be; we do not have the police protection N.Y.C.
has, unfortunately for us.
There are TEN unrestricted all alcohol licenses available for the entire city of BOSTON. The odds of any one of these ( and the other restaurants who will also apply) are fairly low.
Thank you Joyce for responding with the facts. We need information from people who are knowledgeable about city issues.
Jamison, There are plenty of knowledgeable people who respond to your comments regarding
city issues, you just don’t want to hear it, and this is nothing new with you.
Joyce, I hope you are so right, and hope other neighborhoods get the chance to bring in the revenue
the No. End has been bringing in for years. I believe in FAIRNESS, and these establishments are
overdue in jumping on the gravy train. My last comment was eliminated, and hopefully this one
will be accepted. Thanks again Joyce, and thanks to Michael, who in the past, has made
many valid points regarding City Issues.
Every restaurant named in this article is a responsible business owned by great people, most of them from the north end. They all offer quality products and are classy establishments. To think that giving these restaurants full liquor licenses will hurt the neighborhood is absurd. These are not dive bars up on Hampton beach. Be real people. The “drunk” issue in this neighborhood is caused by college students and fanuil hall, not responsible and classy restaurant owners.
LIFE NORTH ENDER, The affects of hard liquor vs. beer, wine or cordials are all together different.
And please don’t tell me as to what is going on in this neighborhood. There was a fight that
broke out on a Saturday nite 3 wks. ago and the cops were called and they did absolutely NOTHING,
but show up and no arrests were made. The
owner of this nice establishment was astounded by this, and this is nothing new. The No. End is
projected as being a safe neighborhood and they don’t want to ruffle the tourists feathers and let them
know the truth about the fights that have taken place in our neighborhood with local establishments.
I know the No. End is considered the safest place to live, but don’t let it sound like we have no
drunks coming out of these local bars & restaurants. There have been plenty of incidents that
have never been reported.
Don’t ever kid yourself and say these disruptive people are coming from Faneuil Hall or the Garden,
or they are just college kids, it is a LIE. We have had many fights that start in these bars and end
up our neighborhood streets. Maybe our Cops feel these are not that big of an issue, especially if
they are dealing with other parts of the city where there are shootings & stabbings on a weekly or
nightly basis. My thoughts are, we don’t have to have shootings or stabbings, we still need
protection and 1 or 2 cops walking the streets, and one patrol car is not going to cut it in a
neighborhood where there is over 100 establishments. That is a JOKE.