REVERE CITY HALL: Broadway restaurant, Revere Beach Partnership granted beer and wine licenses

By Barbara Taormina

REVERE – The Licensing Commission stressed the need to keep peace in the 800-block neighborhood on Broadway before approving an application from Los Compadres Oaxaqueños, aka B&M Grill, to extend operating hours and add entertainment.

Owner Cristian Mancia said the request to reset the restaurant’s closing time from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. was to accommodate customers coming in late. B&M is also looking to add a disc jockey and Karaoke to the business. The application for an entertainment license was triggered by customers interested in private parties and functions, such as graduations and communions, who wanted entertainment as part of their events. Music would also be played during regular dining hours.

The Commission had questions about expanding the business’s hours and the music since the restaurant is set in a heavily residential neighborhood. Commissioner Linda Guinasso said she had helped usher through B&M Grill’s victualler license, their beer and wine license and their full alcohol license. “I feel like I’m really extending my promise to the neighbors that there wouldn’t be any problems,” she said, adding that she is concerned about the noise since the nearest home to the restaurant is five to eight feet away.

Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky, who lives in and represents the neighborhood, also expressed concerns about noise. “It’s a family-orientated neighborhood,” said Novoselsky. “I think 1 o’clock with music during the week is too late. People have to go to work; kids have to go to school.”

Danvers-based Attorney Richard Mestone, who represented B&M Grill at the Commission’s meeting, said the restaurant owners are aware of the noise and intend to keep windows and doors shut. They are also considering bringing in a decibel meter to ensure music and karaoke does not become a nuisance.

The Commission approved extending the hours for the restaurant to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The application for entertainment was also approved.

B&M owners were warned to maintain the good relationship they’ve built with neighbors. “If we do get complaints, we’ll be back here,” said Commission Chair Robert Selevitch. “We would like to keep peace in the neighborhood.”

The Commission also approved a trial license for the Revere Beach Partnership’s application for 18 one-day licenses for food, beer and wine and entertainment for a pop-up food and beer garden at 1485 North Shore Rd. at the former Pete’s Roast Beef. The events will run on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. from August 3 to Sept. 29. The plan is to bring in food trucks and local entertainment and have Murray’s Tavern handle the serving of alcohol and checking IDs. The Partnership expects about 200 people to attend the events on any given night.

“It’s an opportunity to bring new business to the Shirley Ave. area,” said Partnership Events Manager Chris Puilia, who added that an open beer garden would draw people and would not require much infrastructure.

Laura Christopher of MassDevelopment, which is helping to fund and plan the project, echoed that intention. “We see this as a great opportunity to pull together people in the area, especially new residents, and support local business,” she said, adding that after the beer garden closes, the hope is people will continue on to other businesses in the neighborhood that are open later.

Commissioners did have questions about parking in a congested area. Puilia said the Partnership will promote street parking, parking at the beach and walking and using the T.

Novoselsky said the project is something new and he is willing to take a chance on it. “It would be better than seeing a dead piece of land there until the developer comes in,” he said. Novoselsky also said there is parking available.

Selevitch proposed granting a trial license and reviewing the project at the next Commission meeting on August 16. The Commission agreed and the Partnership has been granted a license for four events before a review to see if any changes are needed.

Residents advised to sign up for Sanitary Sewer Overflow Alerts

Advocate Staff Report

Last Friday night, an overflow of discharge from the city’s sewer system was discovered flowing into surface waters from the area of Washington Street. The 20,000-gallon discharge, which lasted approximately four hours, is believed to have consisted of untreated or partially treated sewage and waste. Residents were advised to avoid contact with waters in Broad Sound and Pines River for 48 hours due to health risks from increased bacteria and pollutants. In addition to Revere, waters in Lynn, Malden and Saugus were also potentially affected.

A 2021 law, An Act promoting awareness of sewage in public waters, requires the City of Revere to notify residents via email about sewer overflows and discharges. Residents can subscribe to receive notifications on the city website at revere.org/sso_alert.

Some discharge events require the city to notify residents about the date, time and location of a sewerage spill within two hours. Follow-up notifications are sent out every two hours until the overflow is stopped. Residents will also be advised about which bodies of water are affected and should be avoided. Sewerage discharges that require notifications are rare and might happen a few times a year or even less frequently.