North End restaurant owners protest Wu’s rules, amend lawsuit

North End restaurant owners on Friday protested the Wu administration’s decision to once again ban on-street dining in the neighborhood. 

The restauranteurs, who are members of the North End Restaurant Association, also added 100 pages of grievances to a federal lawsuit they filed against the city last month, citing what they deem unfair and “retaliatory” measures against them in part because of their Italian heritage.

It’s the second year Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city won’t issue permits for on-street outdoor dining in the North End, a neighborhood densely packed with Italian restaurants but lacking in parking and sidewalk space.

In their lawsuit, 21 North End restaurant owners demanded millions in damages related to the on-street dining ban. Owners say they’ve lost income and incurred storage fees for items previously used for al fresco dining. 

The lawsuit also seeks compensation for a $7,500 impact fee owners had to pay if they opted to offer outdoor dining in 2022. The North End was the only neighborhood that had to pay the fee. The owners sued the city over the fee in March 2023, but that case was dismissed.

On Friday, angry restauranteurs gathered at the Paul Revere Mall to demonstrate against Mayor Wu’s decision to once again exclude the neighborhood from the program. Protesters held signs, and owners gave speeches admonishing the policy. 

“We will not accept anything less than any other neighborhood has,” said Carla Agrippino Gomes, owner of Antico Forno, as reported by The Boston Globe. “This starts today because as you can see, we are all united and we are fed up and we are not going to take this anymore.”

Boston’s outdoor dining program kicked off under former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s leadership in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way for restaurants to offer a safer experience for businesses and their patrons. At the time, restaurants in the North End were allowed to participate in the program.

Last year, Wu’s administration said the North End would no longer be able to participate, citing the neighborhood’s narrow sidewalks and streets and parking restrictions. However, the rest of the city’s dining establishments will be able to offer the al fresco option.

City Hall said it may craft additional neighborhood-specific guidelines for the North End.

Morgan Rousseau

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.

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