The Boston City Council today approved a resolution calling for restaurants with under 30 seats outside the downtown area to let customers bring their own beer and wine if they don't have liquor licenses.
The proposal now goes to the Boston Licensing Board, which has oversight of liquor service in the city and which currently bans all BYOB.
Councilors said the idea would help small restaurants that cannot afford a liquor license. Under the resolution, restaurants that want to offer BYOB would still have to have a hearing before the licensing board, to let neighbors weigh in, co-sponsor Michelle Wu (at large) said.
City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who fought to get Boston additional liquor licenses for outer neighborhoods two years ago, voted in favor, but said she will continue to fight to make it easier for small restaurants to get the right to serve beer and wine.
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Comments
Neighborhoods
By Adeas
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 2:20pm
I don't understand the neighborhood restrictions. Shouldn't small restaurants close to Downtown (Back Bay, Bay Village, South End, North End, etc) be able to do this too?
I mean, it's a step in the right direction, but come on...
maybe too much politicization
By Scumquistador
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 2:41pm
with all the restaurateurs that paid six figures for a license not wanting competition?
Kind of like not wanting to
By anon
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:14pm
Kind of like not wanting to devalue taxi medallions.
Why government issued licenses shouldn't be a treated like a commodity.
The outlying neighborhood
By Rob Not Verified
Thu, 12/17/2015 - 9:58am
The outlying neighborhood places are the ones that more urgently need the help right now. They cannot afford the beer and wine and liquor licenses that are getting gobbled up by downtown places any time one becomes available. That's why the new licenses approved last year by the Legislature are dedicated to neighborhood places. This is a measure to help those outlying neighborhood places stay viable while also enhancing the neighborhood commercial districts they inhabit. Most downtown sit-down restaurants can afford and do have booze licenses already.
and mista president I believe it's time
By bulgingbuick
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 2:47pm
this great city on a hill, hub of the universe and coulda, shoulda, woulda olympic widow, create a two member board of BYOB Review (BYOBR) made up of citizens Charles Yancey and Stephen Murphy...hurrumph,,hurrumph
Green Sheets of Boston City Council.
By theszak
Thu, 12/17/2015 - 10:23am
Green Sheets of Boston City Council are emailed but not available online in SEARCHABLE format !?
This apply to Mickey D's and
By kvn
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:07pm
This apply to Mickey D's and the like?
Dunks
By bulgingbuick
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:13pm
will be interesting.
Probably no, to FF spots...
By boo_urns
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:19pm
Last time I read a post about this I recall hearing that FF restaurants would not be included. I'm wondering if they'll make the distinction at table service restaurants, or if they'll do it some other way, say, for instance, franchised restaurants may be exempt (lots of the big chains probably already serve alcohol, i.e. T.G.I.Fridays, etc.).
But that's just my hunch. Like I said, without reading the literature/proposed legislation, I don't have a clue how they'd distinguish otherwise.
No
By adamg
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:43pm
Has to be table service. Of course, the licensing board is free to modify that.
One small step for the city council...
By teric
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:11pm
one giant leap for us humankind in the neighborhoods.
Awesome. More drunk drivers
By mariac
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:16pm
Awesome. More drunk drivers on the road. Drunk off their own bag of nips.
Doubtful
By adamg
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:50pm
Real bottles, not nips.
Let's just make alcohol illegal
By LN
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 3:52pm
Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?
You jest, but...
By erik g
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 4:02pm
Clearly you haven't been hanging out in the gun control thread, wherein the NRA's paid brigade of anonymous trolls are (oh-so-earnestly) informing us that if people aren't all following a law, we should repeal it.
agreed
By Scumquistador
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 4:06pm
some people commit crimes while in jail, so clearly that isn't working either. open the gates
wonder what the NRA would think about that.
"there has been a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of pearls were suddenly clutched"
Right
By zetag
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 4:04pm
Because you couldn't just do that now if you wanted to
this cud suck
By anonymousy
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 7:22pm
now there is no chance the state will get rid of the cap of liquor licenses in boston. the councilors just set us back another 100 years
set back 100 years
By Scumquistador
Wed, 12/16/2015 - 8:46pm
well i have some great news then because we're about 4 years from prohibition then so it wont matter
also say hello to segregation and goodbye to your right to vote, ladies!
at least the sox are gonna do really well in the next few years tho!
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