Boston Restaurant Talk: Cleveland Circle bars

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Dispensary Given Approval to Replace Mary Ann's in Brighton's Cleveland Circle

A couple of years ago, it was reported that a dive bar that was popular with college students could end up being replaced by a dispensary. Now we have learned that these plans have taken a big step forward.

A message from Henry Santoro of WGBH indicates that a marijuana shop has been given approval to open in the Mary Ann's space in the Cleveland Circle section of Brighton, with a Boston Globe article saying that the Boston Cannabis Board has indeed voted to allow Happy Valley to open in the Beacon Street space. The Globe mentions that there has been criticism from nearby Boston College about the plan, with former Boston police commissioner Bill Evans--who is currently head of the security and police operations at BC--voicing concerns about the proposed shop at a public hearing last week, saying that it would "open the door to another drug that will impact these kids" and stating that "I'd take Mary Ann's over [the dispenary] any day."

Mary Ann's, which has been locked up and dark for awhile, is one of a few drinking spots that was taken over by the Greater Boston Bar Co. back in 2018, including The Tam in Boston's Theatre District and the Beacon Hill Pub, the latter of which is reportedly being replaced by a high-end restaurant.

The address for Mary Ann's (and the proposed dispensary) is 1937 Beacon Street, Brighton, MA, 02135.

[Earlier Article]
Is Mary Ann's in Brighton's Cleveland Circle Being Replaced By a Dispensary?

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]

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Tuesday, October 09, 2018

Is Mary Ann's in Brighton's Cleveland Circle Being Replaced By a Dispensary?

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like one of Boston's best-known dive bars could be replaced by another business, though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

According to a tweet from @thompspicks, an agenda notice indicates that Mary Ann's in the Cleveland Circle section of Brighton might be changing over to a dispensary, with a Facebook post from the Brighton Allston Improvement Association seeming to confirm this, stating that "1937 Beacon St- seeks to change use from Bar to a cannabis dispensary." This is indeed the address for Mary Ann's, though no other information has been given; the meeting is slated to take place tomorrow (Wednesday, October 10), so more may be known by Thursday.

Mary Ann's is one of three bars in Boston that has been taken over by the Greater Boston Bar Co., with the other two spots being The Tam in the Theatre District and the Beacon Hill Pub; the latter closed suddenly late last month, with the company stating that it will reopen once a license transfer takes place, which could be as early as this month.

As soon as we get more information on the exact status of Mary Ann's, we will post an update here.

[October 9 update: An official statement has just been sent and says the following: "Greater Boston Bar Co., a company managed by City Realty Group, recently acquired the real estate that houses a collection of some Boston-area bars, including Mary Ann's in Cleveland Circle owned by Mary Ann's Saloon, LLC. The bar will continue to operate as-is, serving the surrounding communities and 21+ student body, while any potential development opportunities are explored."]

[October 11 update: Based on an article from Universal Hub, it appears that Mary Ann's may indeed be replaced by a dispensary, though not without a fight, as nearby business owners and residents--along with the director of community affairs at Boston College--oppose the idea. The post says that Happy Valley Ventures of Massachusetts has a purchase-and-sale agreement to buy the space, but it will need to win a letter of "non opposition" from the City Council as well as approval from the Boston zoning board and state marijuana regulators.]

[Earlier Article]
Beacon Hill Pub in Boston Closes Temporarily, Will Reopen Soon

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]