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24 Boston businesses approved for new or upgraded liquor licenses
Three pieces of legislation came into play in getting liquor licenses into the hands of restaurants, according to the Licensing Board.
More restaurants will soon be able to serve alcoholic beverages with their food after 24 licenses were approved or upgraded last week, according to a press release from the City of Boston.
Of the applicants, 13 businesses were approved by the city’s Licensing Board as part of the major state legislation that gave Boston 225 new liquor licenses in 2024. In Boston, liquor licenses have long been regulated by the state, which has resulted in licenses hitting the private market for hundreds of thousands of dollars and a concentration of license-holding restaurants in wealthier neighborhoods.
These new licenses are to be doled out over the next couple of years, and the vast majority are zip code-restricted, giving restaurants in neighborhoods like East Boston, Roslindale, and Roxbury more of a chance to get a license without facing a substantial price tag. It includes a mix of all-alcohol licenses and beer-and-wine-only licenses.
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Another five licenses were approved as part of a 2006 petition that made certain restricted licenses available for businesses in certain neighborhoods.
More recent legislation also played a role in six restaurants getting approval to upgrade their beer and wine licenses to all-alcohol, meaning these businesses can serve spirits.
All of these licenses are restricted, meaning that when the restaurant is no longer using the liquor license, they must return it back to the city instead of selling the license on the private market.
These licenses were approved Thursday as part of a process of determining “public need” with each candidate, rather than approving businesses on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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“Each of these approvals represents a business that identified a need in its neighborhood,” said Kathleen Joyce, Chair of the Boston Licensing Board. “We are pleased to approve all of the applications today and continue expanding opportunities for restaurants and small businesses across Boston. We encourage other prospective applicants to begin the process, as additional licenses remain available in 2026.”
These are the restaurants that were approved to serve alcohol:
- Agosto and Baby Sister, All Alcohol, South End
- Bey, All Alcohol, South End
- Nan Xiang Express, All Alcohol, South End
- Perch, Beer and Wine, South End
- 355 Bennington Holdings, All Alcohol, East Boston
- Italian Express, All Alcohol, East Boston
- Pomona Cafe III, All Alcohol, East Boston
- Behan Caffe, All Alcohol, Jamaica Plain
- Ethiopian Cafe, All Alcohol, Jamaica Plain
- Third Cliff Bakery, Beer and Wine, Jamaica Plain
- Ula Cafe, Beer and Wine, Jamaica Plain
- Safari African Restaurant, All Alcohol, Roslindale
- Maria’s Kitchen, Beer and Wine, West Roxbury
- Holdfast Specialty Seafood Rolls, Beer and Wine, Allston
- Tofu Story, All Alcohol, Allston
- Hunan Gourmet, Beer and Wine, Chinatown
- Liuyishou Hotpot, Beer and Wine, Chinatown
- Shoyu Boston, Beer and Wine, Chinatown
These are the restaurants who received approval to upgrade their beer-and-wine licenses to all-alcohol licenses:
- Spring Shabu-Shabu, Brighton
- Silver Dove Afternoon Tea, Downtown Boston
- BenCotto, North End
- Pizzeria Regina, North End
- Rocco’s Cucina and Bar, North End
- Viva Karaoke & Studios, Theater District
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