HomeMy Public PortalAboutLicensing Minutes 8-18-16
Minutes September 15, 2016
ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES: August18, 2016
1. Special Licenses (See below) :
a. Armenian Cultural & Educational Center Fundraiser August 26, 2016
• Special All Alcohol License Approved 3-0
b. Armenian Cultural & Educational Center Independence Day Celebration September
24, 2016
• Special All Alcohol License Approved 3-0
• Extended Hours Withdrew
1. New Salts, Inc. d/b/a La Bodega by Salts
21 Nicholas Ave
Status Hearing Continued to September 15, 2016
2. Vegan Boston LLC d/b/a Wild Rice Café
71 Elm Street Continued to November 17, 2016
Status Hearing
Visual evidence of signage
Discrepancy on seating
3. The Aegean Restaurant II, Inc.d/b/a The Aegean Restaurant
60 Indian Head Road
Framingham, MA 01701 Continued to November 17, 2016
Status Hearing
7:15 PM to 8:35 PM
Donna B. Doucette, Chairman
Licensing Board
TOWN OF WATERTOWN BOARD MEMBERS
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING DONNA B. DOUCETTE
149 Main Street GEORGE B. NEWMAN
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472 STEVEN W. AYLWARD
TEL. (617) 972-6486 ALTERNATE MEMBER
FAX (617) 972-6595 SANDRA KASABIAN HOFFMAN
Present: Donna B. Doucette, George B. Newman, Steven W. Aylward,
New Salts, Inc.
d/b/a La Bodega by Salts
61 Prichard Avenue, No. 1
Somerville, MA 02144
The Watertown Licensing Board reviewed the status of the all alcohol common victualler
license granted to New Salts, Inc. d/b/a La Bodega by Salts for exercise at 21 Nichols Avenue. At the
Board’s meeting of April 21, 2016, Gabriel Bremer, manager, reported that the estimated opening date
for the restaurant was late summer / early fall of 2016. As of August 18, the restaurant was not yet
open for business.
If the restaurant is not open for business by September 15, 2016, a representative of the
licensee must appear for a status hearing at the Licensing Board’s meeting of that date. The meeting
will take place on September 15 at 7:15 p.m. in the Philip Pane Hearing Room, Administration
Building, 149 Main Street, Watertown, MA.
Vegan Boston, LLC
d/b/a Wild Rice
71 Elm Street
Watertown, MA 02472
The Watertown Licensing Board met to review the status of the signage required as a condition
of the Board’s approval, on June 16, 2016, of the application of Vegan Boston, LLC d/b/a Wild Rice
for an All Alcohol Common Victualler License to be exercised at the existing restaurant premises at 71
Elm Street and for approval of a change of hours of operation for the Common Victualler License
exercised at the premises.
Pankaj Pradhan, manager, appeared on behalf of the licensee and presented photographs of
signage placed at the premises. There is a “do not park . . .” sign inside the restaurant and at the front
door regarding use of the Watertown Mall premises. A picture of the sign at the front door was
presented by Patricia Stenson, general manager of the Watertown Mall. Mr. Pradhan also submitted a
copy of a parking agreement with Moynihan Lumber for parking of restaurant customer cars at the
Moynihan site on Arlington Street.
Ms. Stenson commented that she had not seen either the valet stand or a valet sign at the
restaurant site, and that there continue to be illegally parked cars on the Mall property. She stated that
100 cars had been towed since the Board’s hearing in June. Mr. Pradhan responded that the valet
stand is moved when it rains, and that an umbrella for the stand was just acquired last week. He noted
that the rented parking space area, 3 spots, is near the bicycle path, not on Nichols Avenue, and that he
has an arrangement for parking spaces off Arlington Street. Mr. Pradhan added that when patrons are
seen parking in the mall lot, they are told they cannot do so.
In response to a question from Board member Aylward, Mr. Pradhan stated that the restaurant
opens at 8:00 a.m. and that the valet attendant arrives at 10:00 a.m. He added that there had only been
about three valet requests in the past two months. Mr. Pradhan explained that the person who works at
the valet stand is not there “all the time,” but moves back and forth between the stand and the counter
in the restaurant. Once dinner service is started at the restaurant, a sign will be put up to inform patrons
regarding parking at the Moynihan Lumber site.
Board chairman Doucette stated that the licensee needs to be more proactive regarding valet
service, so that persons approaching the restaurant see a valet – instead of having to go looking for
one. Mr. Aylward added that more needs to be done to provide customers notice of parking
requirements.
In order to clarify a discrepancy in reports to the Licensing Board, the Board voted to modify
the seating limits, as most recently set forth in the decision following the June 16, 2016 hearing. They
are as follows: seating capacity of 52, 40 seats inside and 12 seats outside.
Per the Board’s decision in June, a further status hearing will be held on November 17, 2016 to
review operations of the restaurant. The status hearing will take place at 7:15 p.m. in the Philip Pane
Hearing Room, Administration Building, 149 Main Street, Watertown, MA.
The Aegean Restaurant II, Inc.
d/b/a The Aegean Restaurant
Attn. Chris Ntasios
60 Indian Head Road
Framingham, MA 01701
The Watertown Licensing Board has continued the status hearing on the matter of the all
alcohol common victualler license previously issued for your exercise at 640 Arsenal Street and the
December 14, 2015 report of your attorney to the Board that your lease for the premises had been
terminated, including the matter of a proposed transfer of the license. The status hearing was opened
on January 21, 2016, continued to April 21, 2016, and continued again to August 18, 2016.
On August 18, attorney Norman Kaplan appeared on behalf of the licensee, together with Chris
Ntasios. He stated that Mr. Ntasios’s first priority is re-entering the restaurant business as a transfer of
the license to a purchaser appears unrealistic at this time given the State Legislature’s recent passage
of a special act authorizing additional alcohol licenses for Watertown. Attorney Kaplan explained that
Mr. Ntasios will likely need to seek out a small space for exercise of the license. He added that
Atlantic License Brokers, which was retained for the purpose of brokering a sale/transfer of the
license, is viewing the license as having functionally no value at this time.
The continued hearing on this matter will be held on November 17, 2016 at 7:15 p.m. in the
Philip Pane Hearing Room, Administration Building, 149 Main Street, Watertown, MA.