Photo: Mike Macklin/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON WBZ NewsRadio) — North End restaurant owners are renewing their federal lawsuit against the City of Boston over outdoor dining restrictions.
21 restaurant owners and the North End Chamber of Commerce amended their complaint filed in federal court on Jan. 5. The group claims they have lost millions of dollars because of the neighborhood's outdoor dining ban Mayor Michelle Wu implemented in 2023. At the time, Wu cited complaints from local residents about congested streets and the increased traffic from the Sumner Tunnel closures.
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages, including compensation for lost income during the 2023 and 2024 outdoor dining seasons, compensation for outdoor dining equipment and furniture storage, and refunds of $7,500 in fees that North End restaurants had to pay in 2022.
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North End restaurant owners and workers gathered for a protest and press conference at the Paul Revere Mall Friday in support of their cause.
"There’s 21 restaurants, plus the Chamber of Commerce that’s involved," said Carla Gomes, owner of Terramia and Antico Forno restaurants. "We’re becoming more and more united, and as you saw today, the big crowd of people, the employees this is affecting, their hours are getting cut short ‘cause there’s not enough business. You know, it’s all about fairness."
Photo: Mike Macklin/WBZ NewsRadio
Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde, owner of Vinoteca di Monica, echoed Gomes' sentiments of fairness in an interview with WBZ NewsRadio.
"We thought that [Mayor Wu] was going to keep her word and use the 2023 season to come up with a logical plan for the North End, and she hasn’t," Mendoza-Iturralde said. "So now, we’re demanding the same plans that the rest of the city has. We’re demanding she treats us with equality. It’s that simple. We do live in the United States of America. We cannot be segregated in the North End as a neighborhood who can offer lesser services."
Speaking with WBZ, Mayor Wu said fairness is about striking a balance between the needs of the restaurants and the needs of the neighborhood's residents.
"I am a firm believer in outdoor dining," Wu said. "It’s good for our small businesses, it’s good for the city, it’s good for our communities, but it has to work with residents and neighbors and the flow of traffic, and here is a complex situation that we need a targeted solution and we’re not there."
In February, Mayor Wu announced applications were open for outdoor dining in 2024, which is set to begin on May 1.
All approved businesses will need to pay $399 per month if they have a liquor license and $199 if they do not have one. This year's outdoor dining season will have new features like outdoor dining consultations, accessible design templates, real-time application tracking, office hours, site visits, and an option to apply separately for annual license renewals, city officials said.
WBZ's Mike Macklin reports.
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