Hey, there! Log in / Register
Legal wrangling over Todd English's defunct Faneuil Hall restaurant could tie up proposed Legal restaurant in Charlestown
By adamg on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 1:11pm
Roger Berkowitz explains Legal C Bar concept.
The Boston Licensing Board could delay action on a proposal by Roger Berkowitz to open a Legal C Bar in the space left vacant by Todd English's Olives in Charlestown partly because of legal problems related to his equally closed Kingfish Hall restaurant.
Board members decide Thursday whether to grant a request from city officials and nearby residents to delay any action on Berkowitz's request to buy what used to be English's liquor license for Olives in part so that Berkowitz can explain his proposal to a neighborhood association on Feb. 4.
But board Chairwoman Nicole Murati Ferrer said lawyers for English's Charlestown landlord - who seized the restaurant and its license last year over several hundred thousand dollars in back rent - also have to explain to the board why they wouldn't be bound by legal action by lawyers across the harbor who seem to be trying to seize all of English's assets to help pay off a similarly sized amount of back rent to the managers of Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
News that lawyers for Faneuil Hall Marketplace operators might be trying to tie up all the assets of Olive Associates, one of English's many companies and the listed owner of the Charlestown restaurant, came as news to lawyers for landlord William Carey and Berkowitz. Ferrer had copies of a letter from the Faneuil Hall Marketplace lawyers to her board made for Carey's and Berkowitz's lawyers.
Assuming he can get permission to buy the license and win neighborhood approval, Berkowitz said he would convert Olives into a neighborhood restaurant, serving up seafood with an emphasis on Italian dishes. He said he plans mainly cosmetic buildings to the restaurant space, such as adding a Legal C Bar sign outside. English poured a considerable amount of money into the space after a fire.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Ahhh the new
Charlestown. Alcohol? Oh heavens. The Old Townies would want a hearing to make sure he got his license.
Why liquor licensing is a
Why liquor licensing is a joke.
No, it's why the
Licensing Board is a joke. I propose a simple rule - if you willingly go out of business (as opposed to temporarily closing due to flood, fire, etc.), you automatically forfeit your licenses to the City. If people want to pay ridiculous money for a liquor license, that money should go to the City, and not to the business owner closing up shop.
I propose an even simpler rule:
under which licenses would not be transferrable.
I'm guessing this is related to the fact that
Figs Charlestown suddenly no longer has a beer/wine license. Probably was seized and sold to cover one or both of English's big debts to / civil judgements won by his former landlords at Kingfish Hall and Olives Charlestown, which must be somewhere north of $1M at this point. Who in Boston in their right mind would extend credit to this deadbeat restaurateur at this point?