At an emergency hearing Wednesday, Boston’s licensing board announced it will begin random inspections to make sure dozens of North End restauranteurs are following the rules laid out for businesses operating with outdoor seating.
“This is our way of trying to help bring some relief to your industry and we want it to succeed, but we need every single one of you to follow the rules every step of the way,” said Kathleen Joyce, chair of the licensing board.
Joyce also warned that if the business owners don't comply with the rules — which include tables being spaced six feet apart and no outdoor smoking — they will lose their temporary permits for outdoor dining.
After months of uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced that restaurants could begin serving customers outdoors on June 8. In Boston, city officials expedited dozens of permits to allow these businesses to start serving in-person customers. But, complaints soon followed in the North End, as residents witnessed large crowds, noise and smoking.
Violating permissible space was the biggest complaint the board received, but other problems included allowing pets around the outdoor seating and disruptive music. In addition, restaurants cannot stay open past 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends, and people complained about groups remaining in dining areas past those hours.
The 65 restaurant owners assembled at the virtual hearing asked questions about the regulations for both outdoor and indoor dining, which is allowed beginning this week.
If a restaurant fails a random inspection, it faces immediate revocation of its temporary outdoor license, and it faces disciplinary action if an inspection of its indoor dining area turns up any violations.
