From BYOB to seating rules, big changes for Natick alcoholic beverage licenses up for discussion

May 20, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

As we reported earlier this year, Natick is reviewing its alcoholic beverage licensing policies with an eye toward updating them to address evolving lifestyle habits and business demands. The Select Board this week received an update on that review, and everything from current alcoholic beverage revenue ratios and minimum seating requirements for establishments to allowing BYOB at restaurants without a license is on the table.

The status of the review report includes a table outlining current rules and proposed changes for numerous license types that would give the town more leeway to adapt to new opportunities, and reap the benefits of additional option taxes.

Select Board Chair Paul Joseph, a member of the small working group reviewing the rules, said the hope is to make Natick more agile and progressive when it comes to considering new business models that involve alcoholic beverage licenses. So far this year the team has met monthly, informally surveyed the public (about three quarters of 149 respondents said they were disatisfied or very disatisfied with current rules regulating alcoholic beverages in town), reached out to businesses, and collected information on safety and health related to alcohol use and abuse.

“There’s been a lot of talk in the community about some of the rules and regulations that have restricted or basically cost opportunities for the town,” Joseph said during the May 18 Select Board meeting. “We’ve had potential restaurant owners and pub owners consider Natick but because of certain rules that we have in place they chosen to land their businesses elsewhere.”

Among the issues of concern is a requirement that not more than 35% of revenue for licensed establishments come from sales of alcoholic beverages. Joseph said the rules were put in place to control consumption of alcohol in relationship to that of food, but the math doesn’t always work out, as places with expensive wine lists would quickly cross the 35% threshold.

The team has recommended ditching such a requirement.

Another rule up for debate is that requiring an establishment have at least 100 seats to qualify for an all-alcohol license and have at least 15 seats for a beer and wine license. Eliminating such rules would give the town and businesses more flexibility, something that’s proven to be needed since the pandemic began. New business models have emerged nearby, such as in Framingham, where breweries partner with food trucks to serve patrons. Another possibility could be allowing a golf course like Sassamon Trace to have a beer cart.

Wellesley has eased its seating restrictions, and now has attracted the likes of Laughing Monk Cafe, a new 20-seat restaurant that’s allowed to serve alcohol. Indeed, Natick is looking closely at such moves made by other communities.

“Rather than restrict through this bylaw some arbitrary numbers that will dictate the footprint of a service venue, we felt it was better to allow that flexibility and let the opportunities present themselves and then debate them in a public forum as we always would before considering issuing a permit,” Joseph said, who noted a trend toward smaller retail spaces becoming available.

natick survey — Data from informal survey distributed by alcohol licensing policies working group

While this might sound as though Natick might soon change its name to Miami Beach, Joseph said along with more flexible licensing policies might come the embedding into the town’s rules and regulations stricter policies around violations, including escalating penalties. Security cameras could be required in consumption areas as well, and more flexible bartender and staff training could be allowed (online as well as in person).

New opportunities for permits or new latitude for operators “comes with it additional and very clear responsibility,” Joseph said during the Select Board briefing.

Joseph is optimistic that changes could be adopted by the Board as soon as this summer.

Separately, Town Administrator Jamie Errickson noted that Natick has gained an off-premises full alcohol license due to its increased population per the last census (so the town’s allotment rises to eight). The town is figuring out what the process will be to dole that out.

Errickson said the town has also learned of late it has seven malt (beer) & wine off-premises licenses available for issuance. It is looking to come up with a fair process by which to make its various alcohol licenses available.

Students visit local booze sellers armed with orange safety stickers

Speaking of responsibility…

Natick Above the Influence, a youth group of the town’s Natick 180 Coalition, recently visited local alcohol retail outlets to place 2,000 stickers on cases of beer and other alcohol products that say, “Natick youth want to remind you that it is ILLEGAL to buy alcohol for minors. Only 21+.”

orange sticker coors town line — I’m way over 21 & have no plans to share with any youngsters

This took place at the start of prom and graduation season in hopes of encouraging adults not to provide alcohol to those who are under age.

Austin Liquors Too, Dion’s, Natick Wine & Spirits, Nine East Emporium, Town Line Liquors, and Wegmans Natick all took part in this year’s campaign to reduce underage drinking.

Natick Business Buzz: Austin Liquors seeks to move, change name; Lookout Farm invites diners back outdoors; MutualOne donates big to Spark Kindness

May 13, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Austin Liquors seeks to move, change name

The Natick Select Board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. to consider an application from Austin Liquors Too for a change of location from 212 North Main St., to 45 Worcester St., currently a Bernie & Phyl’s furniture store location on Rte. 9 west that was also in the running recently for a cannabis shop.

Austin Liquors is also looking to go back to being called Fannon’s.

Lookout Farm invites diners back outside

It’s out with the Greenhouse and back in with The Lookout at Lookout Farm at 89 Pleasant Street in Natick.

The reopening this Friday of the outdoor dining at picnic tables spread across a scenic landscape is a sure sign that better weather is on way. (No dogs allowed.)

*Wednesday 4pm to 9pm (kitchen closes at 7:45pm, last seating 7:15pm)
*Thursday 4pm to 9pm (kitchen closes at 7:45pm, last seating 7:15pm)
*Friday – 12pm to 10pm (kitchen closes at 7:45pm, last seating 7:15pm)
*Saturday 10am to 10pm (kitchen closes at 7:45pm, last seating 7:15pm)
*Sunday 10am to 9pm (kitchen closes at 7:45pm, last seating 7:15pm)

Our 2020 visit to The Lookout.

MutualOne donates big to Spark Kindness

The MutualOne Charitable Foundation has awarded $10,000 to SPARK Kindness to support its “Resilient Community” speaker series.

The program series has been designed to support the emotional and mental health of families most affected by the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing free virtual programming.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Natick Farmers Market gets a breath of fresh air

May 9, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick Farmers Market got back outside onto the Common this Saturday after spending the fall, winter and early spring indoors at the adjacent Common Street Spiritual Center.

Vendors showcased a wide variety of art and food, including cookies, coffee, bread, and beer.

Many vendors went without canvas atop their tents, not wanting to blow away. Let’s just shoot for a little less wind and cloudiness next weekend. We’ll get it down soon enough.

The Natick Farmers Market runs from 9am-1pm on Saturdays year round.

Pretty sure this isn’t another Natick traffic calming art project

May 9, 2022 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

The spray painting, first yellow, then pink, has transformed the pavement of at least one South Natick neighborhood in recent weeks.

Another traffic calming art project, we wondered at first? A plein air event?

Deciphering the hieroglyphics has made clear this is the work of Eversource, and that’s been confirmed by contractors caught yellow- and pink-handed surveying the neighborhood. They’ve said the gas mains will be dug up, that connections to homes will be replaced, that meters might get shuffled around…but they don’t work directly for Eversource.

Eversource apparently did send vague notifications to some neighbors. We didn’t make the cut, but have reached out to the utility by phone. Customer service was nice, but unable to secure any info. They told us to try the town, so we have.

Now we brace for whatever is ahead. We’ve been told unofficially it could be messy. It could go on for weeks or months. We don’t doubt that work needs to be done. We’re hoping they can sync up the racket with nearby landscapers.

Meanwhile, the town of Natick has been working with Eversource to try to wrap up a number of on-and-on-and-ongoing projects across the community. You can catch the ins and outs of that via a recording of the Natick Select Board Meeting on May 4, about 1 hour, 3 minutes in.

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Artists emerge at Natick Mall’s Zero Empty Spaces opening

May 8, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Impeccable Scoop, sporting pretty much the best creator’s name ever, got his start painting sneakers and has expanded into jackets and canvasses.
Kevin Baldwin teaches music to students in the Natick Pubic School system, and his visual art intertwines with music.
Doug Monteiro works with his dad landscaping during the day, and has generated a following of millions for his art on social media.

These are the artists I chatted up during the opening of Natick Mall’s new Zero Empty Spaces. As we wrote earlier this year, the outfit launched in Florida in 2019 to give artists access to high profile but inexpensive studio space.

The welcoming of Zero Empty Spaces to the Mall continues to morph from a collection of retailers and restaurants into a mix of that, plus more destinations, like Level 99 real life gaming venue. “We’re really happy to be here,” said Zero Empty Spaces co-founder Evan Snow, who along with his partners has focused previous operations in Florida.

Impeccable Scoop told me he was excited to get a window spot, one of about a dozen within the Zero Empty Spaces location, adjacent to a Louis Vuitton (among Scoop’s art, a portrait of Virgil Abloh, an artistic director for the fashion firm who recently passed away). Scoop, who works days in customer service and engagement for a well-known life sciences firm, previously had another shop in Boston’s Seaport section.

He travels from Lynn to his new mall space, hoping to capture the attention of shoppers. “I’m no salesman…if people like it, they like it,” he said. He notes there are many older folks who live at the condos attached to the Mall, and while his art might not appeal to them, “they’re grandkids like it.”

impeccable scoop natick mall zero empty spaces — Impeccable Scoop

Natick resident Kevin Baldwin is a man of many talents, providing private music instruction while also crafting his visual art. He told me about how he makes a limited number of prints of his originals, wanting to make his art accessible to those who can’t afford an original, while at the same time not overexposing his work.

You might be familiar with his other work in town, including traffic calming painting in Natick Center. I spoke with Baldwin shortly before he was giving a talk (“eyeMusic: At the Intersection of Visual Art and Sound”) in a nearby Mall section dubbed “The Vibe.” Armed with one of his works, and his saxophone, Baldwin was ready for his Mall moment.

kevin baldwin artists zero empty spaces natick mall — Kevin Baldwin

Doug Monteiro studied graphic design in college, and his latest art focus is on pointillism, as seen in many of his works at Zero Empty Spaces. Some are political, some focus on other current events or celebrities (Betty White as Marilyn Monroe), all of which can make for some interesting interactions among his social media followers. “I like talking about my art in person better,” he says, and indeed, he had a steady stream of visitors while I roamed through the studios.

doug monteiro natick mall zero empty spaces — Doug Monteiro

Zero Empty Spaces at the Mall still does have some empty spaces, but they should fill up given the price to occupy them. The working artist studio had 7 spaces available at the start of the month. The rent is $4.50 per sq. ft. inclusive of utilities on a month-to-month basis (spaces range from 104-238 sq. ft.)