Quincy commissioners approve festival and restaurant license changes, OK one-day liquor permits

The City of Quincy Board of Commissioners on July 14 approved a slate of liquor- and restaurant-license requests, including a one-day liquor license for the Taste of Quincy food festival and several local restaurant license changes.

Sharon Driscoll, executive director of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, told the board the Taste of Quincy at the Best Western Adams Inn, 29 Hancock St., is an annual festival that typically draws vendors and beer trucks. “We’re expecting about 300 to 500 people,” Driscoll said, describing past participation of roughly 20 vendors and on-site beer service. The board moved to approve the one-day liquor license for Aug. 4, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and proceeded without recorded objections.

Also approved were three one-day liquor licenses for Terry D’Italia, 304 Victory Road, to serve during the Tall Ship visit to Marina Bay July 17–19. Mario Casamassima, speaking for the applicant, said the service area would be roped off and focused on Aperol Spritz service for a limited, monitored crowd.

The board granted a common-victualer license to Tenka Group LLC doing business as Junie, a proposed sushi restaurant at 1205 Hancock St. Attorney Russell Chen, representing the applicant, said the restaurant would occupy about 635 square feet with seating for about 16 and an occupancy limit of 25; he added that the principals have decades of restaurant experience.

Ricock Cheese LLC doing business as Angelina’s Pizza, 1437 Hancock St., received approval to change its restaurant license category from wine-and-malt to all alcoholic beverages. A representative for the restaurant said rising costs and staffing pressures prompted the request: “We’re just trying to keep up and change from this license … to an all-alcohol license will help us increase the revenue so we can stay,” the speaker said.

The board also approved a doing-business-as name change for Asian Cafe Corp at 15 Beale St., which will operate under the name Somenya Udon with no changes to hours or operations noted in the application.

The board accepted the minutes of the June 16 hearing and adjourned, scheduling the next meeting for Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Votes at a glance

- Quincy Chamber of Commerce — one-day liquor license for Taste of Quincy (Aug. 4, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.): motion moved by a board member and approved (voice vote; no dissent recorded). - Terry D’Italia — three one-day liquor licenses for July 17–19 (11 a.m.–7 p.m.): motion moved and approved (voice vote; no dissent recorded). - Tenka Group LLC (Junie) — common-victualer restaurant license at 1205 Hancock St.: motion moved and approved (voice vote; no dissent recorded). - Ricock Cheese LLC (Angelina’s Pizza) — change to all-alcohol beverage license at 1437 Hancock St.: motion moved and approved (voice vote; no dissent recorded). - Asian Cafe Corp — doing-business-as name change to Somenya Udon at 15 Beale St.: motion moved and approved (voice vote; no dissent recorded).

What this means

Most items were routine permit approvals on the consent-like portions of the agenda. Event organizers will be permitted to serve alcohol under the conditions presented; the new and amended restaurant licenses change what businesses can sell on their premises but do not record new operating-hour changes beyond what was in each application.

Key documents and clarifications provided to the board included a letter of support for one restaurant applicant and confirmation that city counsel had been contacted and raised no concerns on at least one event application.

(Reporting note: where the transcript contained possible typographical errors — for example the transcript read “3 to 500 people” in one place — the number above has been reported as “about 300 to 500 people” to reflect the clearly intended attendance estimate.)