City officials have talked up East Boston ferry service for years; owner of proposed waterfront restaurant says he'd start it

Charles Larner, who owns Pier 6 in the Charlestown Navy Yard, said today he'd hire a "launch boat" to offer free shuttle service between the that restaurant and the one he wants to build on the East Boston waterfront - and that he would look to eventually expand the boat runs to other waterfront neighborhoods.

Larner added the service would be offered as a free community service - even to people who aren't planning to eat at either Pier 6 or his proposed East Boston restaurant, at 6 New St.

The East Boston restaurant, as yet unnamed, would feature a menu similar to Pier 6, Larner said. It would have 262 seats indoors and another 124 seats on a patio.

Larner made his comments at a Boston Licensing Board hearing today, where he and his lawyer made the case why he should get one of the five unrestricted liquor licenses the board has to give out this month.

A dozen other restaurants across the city also had similar hearings today. The board has an equal number of additional hearings next week, after which it will then try to decide which five made the best "public need" argument and deserve to get one of the valuable licenses, which can be borrowed against and re-sold - typically around $300,000.

Both Larner's attorney, Stephen Miller, and City Councilor Sal LaMattina (East Boston, North End, Charlestown) said the proposed restaurant, at 6 New St. next to LoPresti Park, is buttressed by a strong public need in an area of East Boston that is finally coming into its own.

Miller said the East Boston waterfront currently has no liquor-serving restaurants but has numerous new developments coming in - and would further help spur development of the area, long noted mainly for its abandoned old wharves and fenced off vacant lots. And while East Boston in general already has "great food," the up-and-coming neighborhood deserves the sort of "world class food," he said Larner would serve up.

"We have have no waterfront restaurants right now in East Boston," LaMattina said. "The success of this restaurant is very important to East Boston."

Larner said that with a license in hand, he could be ready to open in March of next year.

Also supporting the license request: The Mayor's office, which said Larner has agreed to look at a program with culinary students at East Boston High School.