Bakery27s request to add mimosas sparks neighbor opposition; board approves then reconsiders

The Pawtucket Board of License Commissioners held a public hearing on a new Class B victualler license for a bakery at 477 Smithfield Ave and heard opposition from nearby residents who said late-night alcohol sales would not fit the neighborhood.

York Osorio, the applicant, told the board the business had reopened after a fire and that any changes made were cosmetic. He said the immediate plan was to serve breakfast and lunch with beer and wine for brunch mimosas, adding, "Not right now because, it's just, like, beer and wine" when asked whether he planned to sell hard spirits.

Neighbors raised noise and land-use concerns. Anthony Damiani, whose house abuts the applicant's building, said his living room window is about 21 feet from the business's back door and warned that a license allowing sales until 1 a.m. would not suit the mostly residential area: "I do not believe that granting this new class b v retail liquor license would fit in with the character of this mostly residential neighborhood," he said.

Councilors and board members discussed options including imposing hour limits and asking the applicant to maintain communication with neighbors. The board initially approved the license with operating hours limited to the applicant's current 8 a.m.–7 p.m. schedule and said any extension would require the applicant to return to the board for public review.

Later in the meeting staff reported the clerk had questions about how close the bakery is to a nearby church. The board voted to reconsider and postpone the Excelsior/Exclesso Cafe & Bakery approval to allow staff to research proximity and contact the applicant; the postponement was set for the board27s meeting three weeks later.

The hearing record shows Board members balanced support for a small business against neighborhood concerns, approving protective hour limits in the short term while pausing final action pending clerical review.