Dozens of North End restaurants apply for outdoor dining in Boston

BOSTON — The city of Boston has received nearly 70 outdoor dining applications from restaurants in the North End.

This despite opposition to the $7,500 outdoor dining fee the city is charging restaurant owners.

A spokesperson for the city said 67 applications for outdoor dining were submitted as of April 26.

“These applications are in various stages of review and city staff are actively working to approve these applications in time for the program’s May 1 start date,” the spokesperson said. “We are looking forward to a safe and vibrant outdoor dining season in the North End and the rest of the city. The mayor and city staff are grateful for the continued partnership of the North End’s residents and business owners.”

The North End is the only section of the city where the fee is being applied. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu previously said it’s a quality of life issue for North End residents and unique to that neighborhood.

“Equity does not mean equality,” Wu said in March. “I know we all want the same thing. We all want each neighborhood to be safe and thriving.”

But the cost of outdoor dining, as well as additional expenses like paying for parking spots, frustrated some restaurant owners, leading to protests and threats of a lawsuit.

“I’ve taken the expense of a lawsuit against the mayor. At the same time, I’ve taken the expense of opening up a patio because I need the income,” Jorge Mendoza, owner of Vinoteca Di Monica told Boston 25 earlier this month.

Boston is offering hardship waivers to restaurants that may not be able to afford the full cost, which can lower a business’s fee to $3,500-$5,000. The city is also open to allowing businesses to take part in the outdoor dining program for fewer months and pay $1,500 per month, instead of a lump sum for the entire season.

The city spokesperson said Boston received 28 hardship waiver applications, of which 23 waivers were granted.

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