As Boston's political elite celebrated St. Patrick's Day with breakfast and banter, a chorus of disgruntlement simmered outside the Ironworkers Local 7 Hall. North End restaurant owners brought their ire to the annual gathering on Sunday, voicing their opposition to Mayor Michelle Wu’s policy barring them from on-street outdoor dining—a privilege granted to eateries in other parts of the city. The group's sour notes rang out against the backdrop of revelry inside, where guests like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Governor Maura Healey were in attendance, as NBC Boston reported.
Planting their feet firmly against what they decry as "unequal, unfair, and discriminatory treatment," over a dozen proprietors and their staff displayed signs and sounded off on the injustice they feel. "All we are asking from the profit of diversity equity and inclusion we are asking to be included equitably, to have the same opportunity to compete with the rest of the businesses like ours in Boston," Jorge Mendoza, the owner of Vinoteca di Monica, pitched to those passing by, according to NBC Boston. The demonstration is only the latest in a series of clashes with the city administration, punctuated by a lawsuit involving 21 North End restaurants demanding the right to outdoor dining and reimbursement for a steep $7,500 fee charged last year.
Accusations of preferential treatment stoked the anger of the North End business community, who were notably restricted to "compliant sidewalk patios" while other Boston locales enjoyed the blooming enterprise of street-side tables—a pandemic-born practice now curtailed in their quarter. According to a Boston Herald interview, Robert Regnetta, another riled restaurateur from Ristorante Euno, lamented, "We're the most recognizable community in America, the North End, and she’s taking away our outdoor dining." Their complaints delve into the view of an uneven playing field where the same taxes and licensing fees apply, but the freedom to serve in the open air does not.
Irony was not lost on the protestors as their signs suggested "St. Patrick was Italian," and called the $7,500 outdoor dining fee "an extortion fee," amidst traditional music and folkloric celebrations. According to Boston.com, their statement threw a stark light on their plight, determined not to be "unfairly singled" out from the rest of the city's dining establishments. Yet, inside the union hall, Mayor Wu regaled the audience with quips from past events, revisiting moments when legal actions against her made headlines after jests directed at the North End restaurateurs.
While city officials indicate a willingness to reconsider the regulations in the future, this year's St. Patrick's Day left the restaurant owners out in the cold—and out of the street-dining game—fueling a protest that seeks to rectify what they see as a stifling of their businesses and their iconic neighborhood's spirit.
