Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A group of North End restaurant owners and their workers protested outside the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in South Boston Sunday.
Protestors wielded signs saying "Support Outdoor Dining for North End," "We Are One City, North End Included," "Erin Go Bragh! St. Patrick Was Italian" and other messages outside the Ironworkers Local 7 Union Hall.
The restaurant owners have been at war with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu since her administration banned outdoor dining in the North End last year. The owners feel singled out because the ban is exclusive to their neighborhood.
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"She’s not a monarch, she’s a public servant," said Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde, owner of Vinoteca di Monica. "We want equal rights for the people in the North End for outdoor patios in the summer season."
1 of 2 Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
2 of 2 Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
Earlier this month, 21 restaurant owners and the North End Chamber of Commerce amended their federal lawsuit against the City of Boston. The plaintiffs are seeking millions of dollars in compensation for lost income as a result of the ban, as well as a refund of the $7,500 fee the restaurant owners had to pay for outdoor dining in 2022.
Protestors also pointed to a pair of bills, H.3741 and S.2380, that would add 250 new liquor licenses to 10 Boston zip codes over the next five years, with the North End not included among them.
"We are appalled at her behavior," Mendoza-Iturralde said. "She got elected to serve the people, not to serve herself and not to pick losers and winners."
Wu was one of several prominent government officials who attended Sunday's breakfast, a yearly event where local, state, and federal leaders roast each other.
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