On-street dining is off the menu
North End restaurateurs will not be allowed to provide patrons on-street outdoor dining this year.
Segun Idowu, the city’s chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, served the news to the disappointment of eatery owners and to the delight of many neighborhood residents during a meeting last night.
Idowu pointed to two “major” infrastructure projects that the city believes will present too much of a challenge for on-street patios to go forward this year: the bridge replacement on North Washington Street and the continued restoration of the Sumner
Tunnel.
Those projects will create even more congestion in the already densely packed neighborhood that is known for its narrowly, oddly-shaped streets and sidewalks, Idowu said.
“We realized that whatever scenario we developed for on-street outdoor dining, it would be next to impossible to successfully execute,” he said. “In order to provide for the safety of residents, patrons as well as for the accessibility to the disabled community and consistency for restaurant owners, we have decided this year to forgo on-street outdoor dining.”
The news has already started pitting restaurateurs and residents against one another, a year after controversy ran rampant.
Mayor Michelle Wu placed a North End-only $7,500 fee on restaurants that provided outdoor dining last year. Now, the neighborhood will be the only one in the city that won’t be allowed to serve outdoors.
Nick Varano, owner of Strega restaurant on Hanover Street, expressed strong resentment, saying he believes the city is discriminating against North End restaurateurs. He said he and other owners have no control over the infrastructure projects which have been ongoing but are expected to ramp up this spring and summer.
“I believe it’s not very fair, and it puts us at a disadvantage with other neighborhoods in the city,” said Varano, the first restaurateur to speak out against the city’s decision. “It could have been thought out a little bit better and there could have been more structure to it, whether it be fees, occupancy or whatever.”
Idowu reiterated that North End restaurants will still be able to apply for the private and sidewalk patios, but owners say that won’t bring much relief given the neighborhood’s unique character.
Resident Darlene Romano thanked the city for “listening to us for once.” She said the neighborhood wouldn’t be able to bear much more between all the ongoing projects and if the on-street outdoor dining continued.
Outdoor dining was a favor the neighborhood gave restaurant owners to help them stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Romano said.
“Yes, the North End is unique in some way,” she said. “It’s unique because of the residents who live here. We make it unique. We put this on the map. We did. We’ve gone over this over and over.”
Idowu tried to provide some positive developments to restaurateurs: Disbanding the on-street outdoor dining is just for this year in the neighborhood. The city will be convening a task force of North End restaurant owners, residents and other stakeholders.