When the city of Cambridge’s licensing commission loosened –then proposed tightening– its alcohol service policies earlier this summer, it faced criticism over the mixed messages it was sending to the public. Was Cambridge a fun and thriving place to go out with friends? Or was it a strict and overbearing nanny state, not just for customers but also for servers?
In June, the city council rebuked the commission’s proposed restrictions, which were eventually scaled back. And on Monday, city councillors came to Sullivan Chamber for a special summer meeting with two policy orders offering more flexibility to the city’s nightlife businesses.
One order, which is sponsored by Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, seeks options for reforming the license commission. In Cambridge, the three-member commission is composed of the commission chair Nicole Murati Ferrer, the acting fire chief Thomas Cahill and acting police chief Pauline Wells.
Because the makeup of the license commission was established by state law in 1919, any local changes to its structure would likely require a home rule petition, which would mean any local changes must also be passed by the Massachusetts state legislature.
Siddiqui first zeroed in on the license commission in a June city council meeting where its rules were hotly criticized.
“When a body like this is charged with making decisions, [I] hope they are reflective of local needs,” she said. “What does it look like to add seats to the commission? … It’s something we should have a conversation about.”
Another policy order, sponsored by Councillor Denise Simmons, seeks to explore a year-long pilot program that would extend alcohol service until 3 a.m.
Extended service hours were a hallmark of the city’s temporarily looser alcohol rules during the World Cup in July. They expired July 31.
In response to both of these orders, the city council passed without discussion a resolution ordering City Manager Yi-An Huang to report on the economic impact of the looser policies and to advocate the state to extend the temporary relaxation of its rules, or even permanently allow cities to establish their own last-call hours and related alcohol policies.
Local business owners were in favor of extending the pilot.
“The business climate is incredibly difficult,” said Dennis Benzan, owner of La Fábrica in Central Square, and a former Cambridge city councillor. “What the World Cup demonstrated to the local community is that you need to have activity in our squares.”
“[July’s program] proved it could work, that we could be responsible operators. In the ten years I’ve operated a business, I’ve never seen the activity and enthusiasm that I saw this summer.”
Sean Hope, who is co-owner of Yamba Market cannabis store in Central Square and the DX event space in Harvard Square, spoke during the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting to praise the city’s innovation during the World Cup.
“I’ve really seen the boost that this license has had on different squares and neighboring businesses…I would hate to see this end,” he said. He also implored the city to view this moment as an opportunity, not unlike the way the city responded as it transitioned out of COVID lockdowns.
“For the longest time in Central Square it was really challenging to have outdoor seating,” he said, citing difficulties with permits and regulations. “After COVID that all changed. Now, Central Square feels like the East Village.”
Extending service hours raises labor costs and is not always an obvious choice for business operators. Of the 48 Cambridge businesses that opted into extended alcohol service in the summer, 23 extended their closing hours.
But Benzan, of La Fábrica, says the cost can be worth it.
“There’s a potential added cost to the business, but those of us who’ve been doing this for some time make adjustments,” he said. “I have a fairly big labor force: bartenders, servers, security guards, kitchen staff. People generally want to work more.”
Benzan also added that flexibility was a key element of the proposal.
“Just because you’re allowed to open until 3 a.m. doesn’t mean you’re going to be open at 3 every night. But you have the space and freedom to operate legally that allows you to be more successful.”
He added that one upcoming event where his business would benefit was the annual Head of the Charles, where more tourists and residents are out late.
“Maybe that night you stay open until 3; it gives you more options.”
Michael F. Fitzgerald contributed to this story.
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