By MARK SARDELLA

 

WAKEFIELD — One of the oldest and most familiar businesses in downtown Wakefield is changing hands. The longtime owners of Jeffrey’s Package Store at 354 Main St., Ray and Judy Wormstead, are selling the business to Vasudev Patel of Winchester and Krupa Patel of Lynnfield.

According to the Purchase and Sales Agreement, the total purchase price is $250,000 plus the cost of store inventory at the time of the closing.

The Patels and the Wormsteads were present at Monday night’s hearing before the Board of Selectmen on the transfer of the liquor license. Local attorney Michael McCarthy represented the Patel’s in their petition for the liquor license transfer.

McCarthy said that the Wormsteads had owned Jeffrey’s since 1987 and were now interested in retiring out of the business.

McCarthy stressed that the Patels were not purchasing the building, nor were the Wormsteads the owners of the building. (The building owner is North Hill Realty Trust.) Still, McCarthy said that Patel was proposing some improvements to the store’s façade, interior and signage. He said that Patel had entered into a lease agreement with the building owner that includes the proposed improvements.

McCarthy called Patel “a successful businessman” and “a very qualified applicant” for the liquor license, who currently has an interest in a convenience store in Winchester and is the manager and liquor licensee at a Richdale in Andover that sells beer and wine. Patel also is the manager of a convenience store and smoke shop in Somerville, McCarthy said. McCarthy noted that there have been no complaints or issues at these establishments and Patel has been approved as manager by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC).

In response to a question from Selectman Patrick Glynn, McCarthy specified that the improvements referenced in the lease agreement will include windows added to the north exterior wall (facing the Wakefield Co-operative Bank) as well as some interior improvements. Glynn asked if any improvements were planned with respect to the front of the building. McCarthy said that there likely would be, but improvements to the front of the building and exterior signage were not part of the lease agreement.

Chairman Brian Falvey told Patel that he hoped that he would be willing to voluntarily do his part to help the town in its efforts to upgrade and improve the look of the downtown.

The board’s vote to approve the license transfer was unanimous.

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In other business this week the Board of Selectmen:

• Approved a beer and wine license for Massimo’s Ristorante at 19 Centre St.

• Approved separate requests from Jeffrey’s Package Store, Greenwood Wine & Spirits and McDonough’s Liquors to change their hours to allow opening at 10 a.m. on Sunday instead of the current noon opening time.

• Approved a request from John Fournier for a Class II used car dealer’s license. Fournier said that he had rented an office at Edgewater Office Park and would be doing auction sales and purchases only. There would be no display of vehicles. The board voted 5-1 to approve the request, with Selectman Phyllis Hull voting opposed.