An emergency licensing board hearing is taking place tomorrow regarding restaurants in the North End, and attendance will be mandatory for all dining spots in that Boston neighborhood.
According to a hearing notice within the city's website, the Boston Licensing Board is holding a virtual emergency hearing on Wednesday, June 24 at 2:00 PM that will look into "numerous" complaints that have been received by both the Licensing Board and the Inspectional Services Department. The complaints that will be addressed include the following:
-- failure to adhere to the guidance issued by the state regarding social distancing and mandatory operational requirements
-- failure to adhere to the terms and conditions of approved temporary extensions onto outdoor space
-- failure to adhere to city, state, and federal laws, codes, and ordinances regarding tobacco use and the presence of animals in food service establishments including outdoor patios
The notice says that any North End restaurant that fails to attend the emergency hearing could immediately lose any temporary extension of its outdoor dining area along with the potential of additional disciplinary action regarding its license.
With the start of Phase 2 of the reopening of the Massachusetts economy earlier this month, many restaurants in the North End were able to set up temporary outdoor areas, thanks in part to the fast-tracking of the approval process for outdoor dining permits.
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
