Taunton Airport Commission votes to terminate Air Restaurant lease after repeated lease violations; public urges extension

The Taunton Municipal Airport Commission voted unanimously May 28 to terminate the commercial lease for Air Restaurant and Catering LLC, operator of AIR restaurant at 2 Westco Drive in East Taunton, after the city says the tenant repeatedly failed to meet lease requirements.

The vote followed several formal notices from the city, a review of inspections and service records, and public comment from more than two dozen patrons and local business leaders who urged the commission to give owner Charles Herman another chance. The commission recorded multiple cited violations including failure to maintain required hours and days of operation, unpaid rent for January–March 2025, missing insurance documentation, unauthorized signage and alterations to the premises, cleanliness and sanitation problems, and failure to provide required notices to licensing authorities.

The city’s March 5 and related letters — signed by Assistant City Solicitor Thomas P. Gay Jr. — demanded the tenant cure the lease violations within 15 days and warned that failure to do so could lead to termination. A subsequent May 8 letter documents a proposed mutual termination date of May 31 and requests an inventory and valuation of restaurant equipment should the city pursue acquiring any assets. The commission voted to place those letters and tenant responses on the record before taking final action.

Why it matters: The commission said the restaurant was a planned amenity meant to serve the aviation community and the public and that the lease included a material requirement for regular public availability so visiting pilots and passengers could rely on the service. City staff described an earlier effort to attract a tenant — including a five-year lease with two years of waived rent and city assistance on buildout — to make the location viable.

Commissioners and city officials described a pattern of spotty communication from the operator and recurring operational failures that, in their view, undercut the airport’s objectives. Patrick Del Russo, the city’s chief financial officer, and Jay Patekis, director of the Office of Economic and Community Development, told the commission the city had repeatedly offered assistance, marketing support and business counseling and had discussed options with the restaurant’s lender to reduce potential debt exposure if an exit occurred.

Owner Charles Herman acknowledged operational problems and described recent health issues. In remarks to the commission he said he had undergone surgery and leaned on staff shortages and personal illness as factors. “I take full responsibility for the shortcomings… I am determined to resolve every single issue that has held us back,” Herman said during public comment. Despite that, the commission said follow-up communications and consistent corrective action were not forthcoming.

Public reaction: Dozens of speakers told the commission they had become regular customers and that AIR had driven new traffic to the airport. Comments from local residents, business owners and elected officials emphasized the restaurant’s food quality, community benefit and the personal character of the owner. “It was a unique dining experience…we couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Kathleen Bollier, identifying herself as a local resident and project participant in airport redevelopment. Several speakers said they feared losing a locally owned business and urged the commission to work out a corrective-action plan rather than terminate.

City and staff account: Airport manager J.D. Espinosa and economic development staff detailed complaints that pilots and customers had arrived when the restaurant’s published hours showed it open but the facility was closed, and that the airport manager or staff sometimes had to clean or secure the site. The city’s Board of Health performed inspections in April; staff reported that the resulting violations were addressed over subsequent reinspections.

Formal action and outcome: After discussion the commission voted to terminate the restaurant lease for material breaches. The motion carried unanimously. Commissioners said the decision followed repeated efforts to resolve the issues and offers of support from multiple city offices.

What’s next: The city requested an inventory and valuation of equipment on site and said it will engage with the restaurant’s lender about possible acquisition of equipment; the May 8 letter asked for the inventory and valuation and sought written acknowledgment of a termination date. The commission also noted the city had invested in the restaurant build-out and provided rent relief during startup. No further details about eviction schedules or equipment acquisitions were finalized at the meeting and the commission asked staff and the law department to follow up.

Ending note: The vote closed a lengthy public session that combined complaint letters, staff reports and more than an hour of public comment. Commissioners repeatedly framed the decision as a landlord’s enforcement of lease terms rather than a judgment on the quality of the food or the character of the owner.