MELROSE — The Melrose Liquor License Commission will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, on the second floor of the Milano Senior Center, 201 West Foster St., to receive Mayor Robert J. Dolan’s proposals for changes to Melrose’s liquor regulations.
These changes include:
• Clarifying the regulation on serving alcoholic beverages in restaurants to include the following:
• A customer may order one drink before ordering food.
• A second drink can be ordered once the customer has ordered a meal.
• “Meal” is defined as a purchased menu item of food.
• Service of alcoholic beverages requires table service by waitstaff and not counter-service.
• Customers may not bring their own alcoholic beverages into a restaurant
• Pitchers of beverages are not allowed, however wine and wine-based beverages may be served out of a decanter.
• Setting forth regulations regarding outdoor service of alcoholic beverages, to screen service areas from surrounding neighborhoods and to ensure that members of the public cannot wander into service areas without first entering the restaurant.
The Commission will hold a public hearing before acting on these proposals.
If the Commission approves the changes, Dolan will then send an order to the Board of Aldermen proposing revisions to the the number of seats required for a restaurant beer and wine license and full liquor license. Any changes approved by the Aldermen will then go to the state legislature as a Home Rule Petition.
