The New Retail Thread

This will take two seconds - please write your reps!

My suggested letter to your senators and reps - find them here - https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

I am your constituent in XYZton, writing to strongly oppose the bill filed by Sens. Ed Kennedy and Nick Collins that would set a new 14-day cap on the number of one-day licenses that can be awarded for outdoor drinking. (The bill number has not been reported so I do not know how to reference the bill more precisely.)

This measure, reportedly sponsored by the restaurant industry, would limit the leisure activities of residents in the state and also strongly take away from the potential of parks to bring in much-needed revenue. It would significantly hamper a strong draw for tourists and make it less likely for post-college graduates to stay in the state.

The answer to any apparent "unfairness" in regulation between beer gardens and traditional restaurants should simply be to loosen unnecessary restrictions for restaurants rather than impose more regulation on outdoor drinking which would adversely impact the state.

Thank you.
 
^^ Done

I love Massachusetts, but god damn do I hate its politics at times. There's nothing more infuriating than seeing people trying to legislate out competition like the taxis try to do with Uber. Our entire society/economy is based on making things better by doing things better. As others have said on this thread, these restaurants should be pushing to reduce restrictions on their operations, not trying to clip the wings of others so they don't have to try harder.
 
Just finished writing both Senator and Rep as well.

I emphasized that beer gardens are often very family friendly (infants and toddlers) as well as pet friendly (dogs) and provides completely different social experience than nearby bars.
 
I wrote to mine too. That really was so easy, I don't know why I don't write to them more often.
 
I wrote mine as well. Placing a call to their office never hurts. I know that they get far more email (it's easy) than phone calls or voicemails, so the impact of a call is larger. It also helps to hear a real voice vs. seeing more text.

Unrelated, I went into Ghiradelli today to grab some last minute Valentine's Day candies. That place cannot turn a profit. I get it's a big brand that probably takes losses in many visible spots just to have the brand name associated with "premier" locations, but it is dead almost 24/7.
 
Collins, at least, sounded much more reasonable on Twitter when he started getting people @'ing him (including me).

And it is a little silly to have a 3-month beer garden using 90 one-day licenses. He says he wants seasonal licenses as well as 200 more Boston restaurant licenses.
 
Collins, at least, sounded much more reasonable on Twitter when he started getting people @'ing him (including me).

And it is a little silly to have a 3-month beer garden using 90 one-day licenses. He says he wants seasonal licenses as well as 200 more Boston restaurant licenses.

What are the chances he softened his stance as he was getting blasted on twitter and has been constantly responding?
 
the real solution to this is allowing people to drink outside of bars/restaurants without having to 1, sit down and 2, order food.
 
Both the Globe and BBJ are reporting that a Trader Joe's may be moving in to Fort Point.

Janelle Nanos said:
[...]

Trader Joe’s was listed as one of the parties petitioning the Fort Point Channel Landmark District Commission at a meeting Thursday night for permission to change some of the architectural details of the large brick building at 44 Thomson Place. The grocery store was hoping to update entrances, reopen historic windows, and install historic signage.

According to Marc Margulies, principal-in-charge of Margulies Perruzzi Architects, the commission approved Trader Joe’s petition.

Before the meeting, Trader Joe’s was not yet ready to promote its plans. “We are interested in opening a new store in that area, however, I have no other information to confirm at this time,” spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel said in an e-mail.

[...]

It would be here, behind the Yotel and next to the new Trillium space.

Also, not to toot my own horn but:

If/when the Seaport is to get a grocery store I'd think Trader Joe's would be the best fit. The new TJ's at Assembly is 12.5k sf; the one on Boylston in the Back Bay (which is the smallest TJ's in the world) is just 5.2k sf. They could certainly fit in [the Seaport].
 
Went to the Natick Mall yesterday and at the Apple Store they were gearing up for the reopening which I believe is today. Mostly posting this because Microsoft (which is next door) so blatantly ripped off Apple's store design. It's much more obvious with Apple back.
 
The restaurant scene is changing. Folks value fine dining less and mid-priced "trendstraunts" more.
 

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