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Historic South End bar to add function room

The Boston Licensing Board today gave J.J. Foley's permission to add a new function room on the second floor of its building on East Berkeley Street.

Attorney Patrick Foley, a member of the Foley family, told the board yesterday the watering hole is trying to keep its dining area open on nights when it offers functions. Currently, the bar has to either shut the dining area for functions or turn away function business, he said.

He noted that unlike many of the other bars opening up these days in the area, Foley's continues to be run by the same family.

He noted the family has run the tavern since 1909, continued to operate it even when that area was a place respectable Bostonians avoided and that the family wanted to keep operating in an area with a growing population of well heeled residents and business owners who are increasingly thirsty for the Foley's experience.

One resident, an artist who lives across the street, attended the hearing to express concern about noise - he said the sound from Zumba studio that had been renting the second floor was so loud it prevented him from painting.

The Foleys said Zumba is a different thing altogether and that they would keep the second floor's window shut during functions. This seemed to satisfy the resident, who praised the Foleys for upgrading the bar from its days as a "stinky, horrible" bar frequented only by off-duty cops and Boston Herald workers.

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Comments

Foleys (all of them) are great including the Kingston location with Boston's best bartender, Jim Savage. Great to see new improvements to the South End location, it's an institution!

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“I will never allow (Koch's products) inside my door again,” said Jeremiah Foley, owner of three J.J. Foley bars in Boston. “He was involved; he sponsored it; and he gave prizes. You should never disrespect a person's place of worship.”

I always liked Jerry Foley but gained even more respect when he led the boycott of Samuel Adams products after the despicable Jim Koch sponsored the sex act in St. Patrick's Cathedral in 2002. Good luck with the expansion Jerry!

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Jerry Foley only owns the J.J. Foley's Cafe in the South End. There are several other businesses with J.J. Foley in the name (the DTX bar, the JP tavern, a liquor store in W. Rox or Hyde Park, I believe), but they are run by relatives who share the same great-grandfather. I believe the downtown one is run by Jerry's cousin, for instance.

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Jerry also owns the JJ's on Kingston st, which his brother is the manager of record...

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I asked Jerry myself earlier this year about his connection to J.J. Foley's Bar & Grille downtown. He said, "I don't own it and have no financial interest in it."

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…to the Foley's Disfunction Room.

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