The city has more liquor licenses to issue to businesses who want one, but officials are seeing little to no interest in applications from Mattapan, one of the targeted neighborhoods that has historically been underserved.

That was the message delivered by Danny Green, the executive secretary of the city’s Licensing Board, who joined the monthly virtual meeting of Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council (GMNC) last week.

“We’ve had only one applicant,” Green said. “We reviewed that application and gave out that license to Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant. We have none in the queue now and would very much like that not to be the case.”

There are 15 licenses allotted specifically for Mattapan, he said. In total, the city plans to offer 225 new alcohol licenses to select city neighborhoods, including Dorchester, over the next three years.

GMNC chairperson Fatima Ali-Salaam said she and consultant Nick Korn helped Blue Mountain with its process. They have also talked with the owners of Toutwél Restaurant on River Street, who are interested in securing a beer and wine license, but have not yet applied.

Ali-Salaam said the process can be daunting. “One thing I’ve heard is that the appetite is minimal because the license application process has been described as onerous,” she said. “I think that may be part of it, so whatever we can do to make it more comfortable would be good.”

Green responded: “It is a lot of forms unfortunately, but we are happy to help people fill them out.”

Ali-Salaam said she has heard there might be concerns about the costs of additional insurance with the addition of liquor to the menu.

State Rep. Russell Holmes said there was no reason to be in any hurry, as the legislation this time had protections baked in to prevent unused licenses from leaving Mattapan.

“I don’t want the licenses to go to just anyone; I want it to be a nice sit-down restaurant and that’s what the neighborhood wants,” he said. “If it takes a little longer, that’s fine with me…We put those protections in there so it doesn’t go to another neighborhood…We will have licenses available when our businesses are ready.”

The new permits are neighborhood specific and include those for beer and wine and the all-alcohol type. They must be given out within three years, but the city has said it would like to have all 15 licenses out to purveyors by the summer of 2026.

Denise O’Marde, of Café Juice Up on Blue Hill Avenue, said she is definitely interested in one of the licenses, but building restrictions and new buildouts have prevented her from executing her plan quickly.

While her shop is small, she said she has a large outdoor space that she wants to use seasonally with a license.
“I’m trying to monetize that yard space and ISD has requirement to do with handicap access and bathrooms, so now I have to prepare for that,” she said. “I’ll have to install two bathrooms because a Port-o-Potty isn’t acceptable if I’m going to change the occupancy.

“It’s not like I’m not interested,” she said, “it’s that they’ve asked me for this, that, and the third thing,” she continued.
She said the trouble with the licensing is she has to make a substantial investment on a venture that could turn out to be a loser.

“I don’t even know if this venture is going to be profitable, but they aren’t concerned about that,” she said. “If I want to apply, I have to make these investments. If they didn’t require the two bathrooms to be installed, I could be ready in two months.”

David Halbert, of the GMNC Economic Development Committee, said he would work on getting the city and restaurant owners in the same room to find out why there is such hesitation and how to overcome it.

Green said they have done a lot of outreach, sent out postcards to all common victualler and food permit licensees, and are having regular Zoom assistance sessions.

Blume on the Ave – A Pitch Party

Dariela Villon-Maga, of DVM Consult, reported that all three of her buildings on Blue Hill Avenue between Morton and Franklin Field are under construction and they are now running a public process to help decide what to bring into the commercial spaces.

She said that they have formed an advisory committee and put out an RFP in January to interested businesses. They had 74 fill out an interest form, 49 request more information, 20 submit proposals, and have now narrowed the number down to 9. They hope to have finalists selected within the next few weeks.

She said the community would be invited to participate in judging the finalists for the three spaces via a Pitch Party to be held in person and on Zoom on April 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chase Bank Community Room in Mattapan Square, 1617 Blue Hill Ave.

“Folks will hear from the teams and fill out surveys,” she said. “Come help us make the decision.”

That input will be used directly by the Advisory Committee to determine who will be offered a lease at each space.