BOSTON – In Boston, liquor licenses are the golden ticket of the restaurant industry. Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are working to make the process of getting one more equitable.
Liquor licenses can make or break a business’s success. They are also notoriously difficult to get.
Boston’s antiquated liquor license system
The system, widely criticized as antiquated, has led to a booming secondary market where liquor licenses are being sold from one restaurant to another. A simple issue of supply and demand that has made it virtually impossible for new restaurants to break in. Unless you’ve got the dough.
“Paying half a million dollars, upwards of $750,000 dollars for a liquor license, no one can afford that. That is why there has been so much disinvestment,” State Sen. Liz Miranda said.
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Miranda has been one of the state lawmakers calling for reforms on this. Miranda represents the Second Suffolk District and said this is more than just about alcohol sales.
“This is about dreams that become reality,” Miranda said. “This is about opportunity. This is about possibility. Communities that have thriving businesses which are the backbones of our community, are safer, they’re cleaner, they are healthier, for me I know this is the means of building a community that is full of thriving people and businesses and not just about offering people a cocktail.”
How liquor license process could change
The state determines how many liquor licenses are permitted for Boston to distribute.
On Tuesday, lawmakers from both the House and Senate announced a compromise to months of debate on this.
They’ve agreed to grant 225 new licenses, which include 195 “restricted” licenses specifically allocated between Boston’s zip codes. That would keep that license in its assigned neighborhood, even if the business goes under.
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The goal, Miranda said, is to give communities of color a better chance at opening a new restaurant, in turn increasing economic opportunity in underserved parts of the city.
The bill still needs final approval and is expected to hit the Governor’s desk by the end of the week.
Brandon Truitt
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Brandon Truitt joined WBZ-TV in January 2022 after working as a reporter and fill-in anchor at WPRI in Providence, Rhode Island. Before WPRI, Truitt worked at WNCT in Greenville, North Carolina, where he began his career in broadcast journalism.
“No Kings” rallies are scheduled in Boston and across Massachusetts on Saturday and are expected to draw large crowds, organizers said.
Organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, and Mass 50501, the event is a mass mobilization in protest of the Trump administration.
The No Kings theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
“The Trump administration is trying to shred the Constitution; the No Kings movement is an unequivocal statement that we, the people, will not let that happen. This will be the third global No Kings Day, and it’s not just about protesting what’s wrong—it’s about building something better. We intend to show our power, build our power, and power a democracy that advances freedom, equality, justice, and dignity for all,” organizers wrote.
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The rally, one of thousands scheduled across the country this weekend, is planned for the Boston Common from 2 to 4 p.m. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Boston’s rally. Other events are scheduled in Pittsfield, Northampton, Lancaster, Worcester, Framingham, Methuen, Lexington, and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape. For a map of No Kings events near you, click here.
Speakers include elected officials Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and civic leaders Hessann Farooqi Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, Darlene Lombos, president of the Greater Boston Labor Council, Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts, and others. It will be moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
There will also be performances by the Dropkick Murphys, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, BVOCAL Chorus, and Jimmy Tingle.
A previous No Kings rally in October drew massive crowds estimated in the tens of thousands.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
An aerial view of the crowd at Boston’s “No Kings” rally on the Common on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
ALLSTON, MASS. (WHDH) – Boston police are searching for a gunman who opened fire in Allston Thursday and left one person hurt.
Police responded to a radio call for a person shot in the area of Brighton Avenue at approximately 6:46 p.m. When officers arrived, they said they found a male “juvenile” suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim’s age has not been released.
Boston police said the shooter fled the scene and remains at large. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston police.
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This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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