Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Confirmed: Lower Mills Pub in Dorchester Will Become Lower Mills Tavern

[Ed note: This article was updated several times to reflect new information given, including confirmation of the buyers and a new name given.]

It looks like a decades-old dive bar in Dorchester is going to be sold--though some legal issues need to be worked out first.

An article in the Dorchester Reporter states that the people behind the Lower Mills Pub on Dorchester Avenue have an agreement to sell the place to a "prominent Boston restaurant operator," but the Boston Licensing Board summoned those involved with the bar to a hearing yesterday because it has concerns about allowing the sale to go through. According to the board, the watering hole has not legally had a manager for the past five years--when the bar's co-owner passed away without leaving a will--and the spot also owes the city approximately $80,000 in back taxes. The Lower Mills Pub is now asking for a continuance of the hearing for eight more weeks to clear things up, which the board plans to look into tomorrow.

The Lower Mills Pub has been open for 35 years, according to the article.

[April 14 update: A new article in the Dorchester Reporter states that the Lower Mills Pub is indeed being sold--with the sale possibly being finalized later this month--and that the team involved in the purchase includes Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys, who is also behind McGreevey's in Boston's Back Bay. Others involved with the purchase include Brian O'Donnell, who is a "key partner," and HGTV host Taniya Nayak, who is married to O'Donnell and will help design the new spot. The article says that the as-of-yet unnamed place will likely be a family-friendly neighborhood restaurant and bar with Irish music and acoustic bands possibly playing there.]

[April 27 update: According to a licensing board page within the City of Boston website, the name of the proposed spot will tentatively be Lower Mills Tavern, with the city looking into the request for a license transfer this Wednesday (April 29).]

[December 29 update: A new licensing board page confirms that the now-closed Lower Mills Pub will indeed be called Lower Mills Tavern, and that the license transfer will be looked at on January 6.]

The address for the Lower Mills Pub (and upcoming Lower Mills Tavern)  is 2269 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, MA, 02124. Its website can be found at http://www.lowermillspub.com/

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