BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A controversy is brewing over tickets issued to several downtown Boston restaurants that opened their outdoor patios yesterday.
Some of the restaurant owners are questioning why the city is going after the businesses, since it was such a beautiful, mild day—and say they were just trying to let fans in town for the Patriots parade enjoy the nice weather.
But the city doesn't allow outdoor patios to be open during the winter, no matter how nice out it is, and keeping the patios open was in violation of their licenses.
Now, Mayor Marty Walsh has a message for the restaurants along the parade route that received violations for opening their outdoor patios—quit your complaining.
"I don't think any restaurant in Boston really has a right to complain," the mayor told WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe. "There was not many restaurants and bars in Boston that didn't have a line outside waiting to get in. Money was made yesterday, so trying to make an issue by having an outdoor patio, saying you lost your money, that's not a fair statement."
Walsh said restaurants that wanted to open their patios should have notified the licensing board ahead of time to ask for permission.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe ( @KimWBZ ) reports