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There’s a famous Ernest Hemingway quote about change happening “gradually, and then suddenly.” We could say the same about the action on Beacon Hill this week:
Extra time: The bill to temporarily allow public drinking zones and last calls as late as 3 a.m. across Massachusetts this summer is suddenly, officially law. Both chambers of the normally plodding state Legislature signed off yesterday on a slightly amended version of the bill initially passed by the House last week, and Gov. Maura Healey quickly followed suit. In a statement after signing the bill last night, Healey said the loosened rules provide more opportunity for residents to celebrate — and for businesses to cash in — during the World Cup and other special summer events this year, like the Tall Ships and semiquincentennial celebrations.
- The details: The bill would let cities and towns create designated zones where people can drink alcohol in public (á la Laconia, New Hampshire or Providence during the 2016 NCAA basketball tournament) as long as the drinks are purchased from businesses within the zone. It also allows cities and towns to permit restaurants, bars, breweries and other businesses to keep serving alcohol one hour beyond whatever is currently allowed by their license — as late as 3 a.m. Both provisions take effect immediately and expire at the end of July.
- What’s next: The key caveat in the bill is that it requires cities and towns to opt in. So, we’ll have to wait and see which communities decide they want 3 a.m. last calls before they’re a reality anywhere in Massachusetts. (It’s worth noting Boston Mayor Michelle Wu already voiced support for the measure, and other cities have taken steps in that direction.)
- What else: The final bill also includes a provision added yesterday by state Sen. Bruce Tarr directing the state to study and report back on the effects of the later last call. “My hope is that we can learn a great deal from this — about behavior patterns, about public safety, about considerations that we may need to take into account in the future when we contemplate legislation that is of this nature,” the Gloucester Republican said during a floor speech. “If this summer shows what we believe it will, I hope it opens the door to a broader conversation about modernizing these laws for the long term,” Senate President Karen Spilka echoed in a statement.
Lunch plans? The Boston-area fast-casual restaurant chain Clover is reopening for business today with a “slimmed down” menu of locations and food. The chain closed in late May, citing the “hangover effects” of COVID and inflation. But last Wednesday, Clover announced a mysterious investor had stepped in to bring the business back from the dead. “We’ve had an operational plan waiting in the wings, and now with this new partner, we are resourced enough to be able to actually deploy it,” Clover CEO Julia Wrin Piper, told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow.
- Where? Half of Clover’s remaining 12 locations have plans to reopen in the near term. They include two Boston restaurants (Prudential Center and Financial District) and four in Cambridge (Central Square, Kendall Square, the Harvard Science Center and Inman Square).
- When? Five of the six locations will open at 11 a.m. for lunch today, before resuming breakfast service tomorrow. The sixth, located inside the Harvard Science Center, won’t reopen until June 22, according to The Boston Globe.
- How? It’s unclear if or when the other six Clover locations will reopen, though the company’s website hints “a couple” could. Wrin Piper told Amy that Clover expects to resume operations with “many” of its 170-ish employees. The “biggest change,” she said, is that Clover will wind down its 40-person central kitchen in Cambridge this summer and move food prep directly to restaurants.
Speaking of the World Cup: Healey’s office is giving out 1,104 free tickets to World Cup matches in Foxborough to local kids, thanks to a donation by Airbnb. Healey said the tickets will be distributed through organizations, like the Boys and Girls Clubs, the state Department of Children and Families and other local groups. “We wanted to make sure that kids who might otherwise not be able to see these games and see some of their heroes play had an opportunity to get to Boston Stadium and actually see the games,” the governor said yesterday.
- Zoom out: With only a few days to go, thousands of tickets to the World Cup’s opening matches are still up for grabs. NPR reports that ticketing experts widely agree on the reason: the jacked-up prices.
P.S.— A Quincy restaurant owner came just shy of winning the TV cooking competition show “Top Chef” last night. Laurence Louie, the chef and owner of the acclaimed cafe Rubato, came in second place in the season finale. (He still won $10,000.) You can watch Louie discuss the rise of Rubato — and share tips on making homemade bao buns — during his 2024 appearance at CitySpace.
