City Licensing Board OKs BYOB in Boston
Photo by Tobias Toft on Flickr/Creative Commons
BYOB is one step closer to becoming a reality in the Hub.
The city’s Licensing Board unanimously voted Thursday to amend its regulations to allow for BYOB in Boston. Patrons at licensed establishments are currently prohibited from bringing their own alcoholic beverages.
“I see this as an opportunity to bring increased economic activity to neighborhoods across Boston and I thank the Licensing Board for taking up this measure that has great potential to make a positive impact on our city’s economic growth,” Mayor Marty Walsh said in a release. “I look forward to reviewing the revised regulations that will be put forth by the Licensing Board in the coming months.”
Walsh signed an ordinance approved by the City Council at the end of last year, putting the matter before the Licensing Board.
“Yesterday’s vote is an exciting step forward as the Licensing Board officially sanctioned BYOB dining in Boston,” said City Council President Michelle Wu, who spearheaded the measure. “BYOB will bring new vitality to our city by giving small business owners and consumers more options to build a vibrant restaurant scene in every neighborhood.”
The Licensing Board will draft “stringent rules” for what its BYOB policy will look like, based on feedback from several upcoming public meetings with community members.
