Since historic legislation was passed to expand Boston’s pool of limited liquor licenses, the city has started awarding highly sought-after zip code-restricted liquor licenses to a number of eateries.
The city’s licensing board issued the second round of zip code-restricted licenses on Thursday. These licenses were for 21 new and established restaurant concepts, including a cafe in Roxbury, an ice cream store in Roslindale, and a Dominican restaurant in Jamaica Plain. The permits were for both all-liquor and beer and wine only.
Just a handful of the 225 extra liquor licenses that state lawmakers granted last year are included in the recently authorized licenses. Over the next three years, 195 of the 225 are expected to support companies in underprivileged areas.
The law, which was signed by Governor Maura Healey in September, also ensures three all-alcohol licenses for Brighton’s Oak Square and 15 all-alcohol permits for public areas.
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What these restaurants learned in getting liquor licenses
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These 37 Boston businesses received the city s new liquor licenses
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Boston s new 225 liquor licenses won t be approved first-come, first-serve, officials say
The fact that these extra limited licenses must be returned to the City of Boston when no longer in use and cannot, therefore, be sold on the private market, sets them apart from the vast majority of the roughly 1,000 unrestricted licenses that are now in place in Boston.
The final 12 of the 225 new licenses are unrestricted, which means that building or restaurant owners might sell them for as much as $600,000, which is the current market rate for an all-alcohol license, once the establishment is no longer in use.
Purchasing a liquor license is frequently the only method for restaurant owners to acquire one, as the state also limits the quantity of licenses that may be obtained in Boston.
The law has created the current restaurant scene, with 60 to 90 license-holding establishments in Back Bay and Seaport, most of which have been bought up by wealthy restaurant groups. In Boston’s BIPOC, largely low-income neighborhoods, such as Roxbury and Matapan, there are also very few restaurants with licenses.
Mayor Michelle Wu and other proponents of more licenses have maintained that since alcohol accounts for a significant portion of restaurant sales, granting more licenses will only benefit Boston’s small business community.
Compared to 2014, when legislation was last approved to increase the number of liquor licenses in Boston, the Licensing Board took a different approach to the license distribution procedure. Instead of awarding these permits on a first-come, first-served basis, the board considered the needs of the general public.
Board chairperson Kathleen Joyce clarified back in December that they already take public need into account when granting liquor licenses. The board considers the number of liquor licenses in the neighborhood where the applicant is interested, the concept’s impact on the neighborhood from takeout and delivery, the number of liquor licenses in the neighborhood, the applicant’s reputation both personally and professionally, and the concept’s comparison to other restaurants in the area.
The restaurants listed below were among those that applied before to the second deadline, which was May 23. The next batch deadline has not yet been set by the Licensing Board.
These 21 Boston businesses received liquor licenses:
Brighton
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Mo s Tavern & Kitchen
, 575 Washington St., Brighton (02135), All Alcohol
Dorchester
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Blasi s Kitchen & Bar
, 762 Adams St., Dorchester (02122), All Alcohol
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Chilacates Cantina
, 1211 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester (02125), All Alcohol
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Cool Shade Restaurant
, 388 Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester (02121), All Alcohol
- Doune & Pepe, 657 Washington St., Dorchester (02124), All Alcohol
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Milkweed
, 1010 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (02122), All Alcohol
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Molinari s
, 789 Adams St., Dorchester (02124), All Alcohol
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Pizza 24
, 301 Adams St., Dorchester (02122), Beer and Wine
Hyde Park
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Boston Pickle Club
, 91 Sprague St., Hyde Park (02136), Beer and Wine
Jamaica Plain
- AAA Restaurant, 3141 Washington St., Jamaica Plain (02130), All Alcohol
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Miami Restaurant
, 381 Centre St., Jamaica Plain (02130), All Alcohol
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Mr. Drinky, 606 Centre St.,
Jamaica Plain
(02130), All Alcohol
Roslindale
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Green T Coffee Shop
, 873 South St., Roslindale (02131), All Alcohol
- Knoll Street Tavern, 1410 Centre St., Roslindale (02131), All Alcohol
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Sweeties
, 48 Corinth St., Roslindale (02131), All Alcohol
Roxbury
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District 7 Cafe
, 376 Warren St., Roxbury (02119) All Alcohol
- The Weston Way, 300 Warren St., Roxbury (02119), All Alcohol
South End
- Capri, 480-490 Harrison Ave., South End (02118), All Alcohol
- Mesob Restaurant, 1746-1752 Washington St., South End (02118) All Alcohol
- Wash El Beverages, 1395-1405 Washington St., South End (02118) All Alcohol
West Roxbury
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Somtum Modern Thai Cuisine
, 1894 Centre St., West Roxbury (02132), Beer and Wine
For Boston.com, Katelyn Umholtz writes about cuisine and dining establishments. In addition, Katelyn writes a weekly food newsletter called The Dish.
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