License Commission approves renewals for Boulevard restaurant

  Antonia’s at the Beach is back in business.

  In December, the License Commission denied a renewal of the 492 Revere Beach Boulevard restaurant’s all alcohol and common victualer licenses because it didn’t have all of its paperwork in order.

  At Wednesday’s License Commission meeting, the commission approved the renewal of those licenses.

  According to Attorney James Cipoletta, representing the restaurant, there were several issues that held to the original denial that have now been resolved.

  Those included changing the stockholders and beneficial interests of the company so that 50 percent or more were citizens, reorganizing the officers and directors of the company and recording it in the Secretary of State’s office, and receiving a certificate of good standing from the state.

  “There were some taxes owed, and those have been paid, so we were able to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Cipoletta. “I looked at the number of things the Commonwealth requested and I put it next to the list the ABCC mandated, and all of these things, in my view, all of these things are good.”

  Cipoletta also noted that the restaurant has been closed since Dec. 21 with one incident he characterized as an honest mistake when a manager was cooking some food for take-out in the restaurant.

  “I think that for me, and we’ve said this to your client on several occasions, and as you know we learned in law school 101 that ignorance of the law is certainly not an excuse,” said License Commissioner Daniel Occena. “He needs to have someone there on site that knows what he is supposed to do. I think one of the common themes we’ve said to (general manager) Fernando (Loaiza) over the last six or seven months or so is that we just don’t want the story, just do the right thing.”

  In 2020, the License Commission rolled back Antonia’s hours due to a violation of the city’s Covid-19 policy and for some paperwork issues.

  That said, Occena and Commission Chair Robert Selevitch said they were willing to grant the renewal license so Antonia’s can reopen.

  “Everything seems to be in order and I’m excited for Antonia’s to be open again,” said Occena. “I dine there myself, I want them to be open and I want Fernando to succeed. It’s certainly nothing against the restaurant itself.”

  Selevitch said he agreed that no one wanted to hurt the business, but said the city has to be protected by making sure all of the restaurant’s paperwork is in proper order.

  “The filings needed to be in order, and that was my particular bone of contention,” said Selevitch. “Now that I’ve been assured that it is, I have no problem at all with Fernando opening and being successful.”