For the past two years, North End restaurants have spilled out into the street for outdoor dining amid the coronavirus pandemic. But, this year comes with a hefty $7,500 fee and shortened season, a policy from Mayor Michelle Wu that has residents, restaurant owners and the city locked in a battle of wills.
Mary McGee, a longtime North End resident and board member of the North End Waterfront Renters' Association, told Jim Braude on Greater Boston that the past two years of outdoor dining had a "very negative" effect on residents.
More Local News
"I think the average resident would prefer that there be no outdoor dining at all, but I think the mayor was trying to come up with a compromise, I think it's fair," McGee said.
She noted the noise level, crowding and packed sidewalks that residents dealt with in order to support restaurants' recovery from the pandemic. But now, McGee said restaurants are back to being packed and the extra push from outdoor seating isn't necessary.
"There was no understanding by the residents that this was going to be any kind of permanent thing, and the impact is very great," McGee said.
But Philip Frattaroli, owner of several North End restaurants, said businesses are still hurting from the crushing effects of the winter omicron wave, and the $7,500 outdoor dining fee doesn't help.
"It was a tough pill to swallow for a lot of us, I mean that money up front really hurts after the months we've had," Frattaroli said.
He added, "we want to be good neighbors and we want to see the changes that are going to make it more livable for everybody, but COVID isn't over for us... We still need this outdoor seating as a crutch to get through."
Watch: Wu Administration and North End restaurateurs at odds over outdoor dining
