BOSTON – Liquor licenses are some one of the largest hurdles for restaurant owners to clear. Data out of Boston shows a deep racial disparity between those who have them.
It’s been described as an antiquated system. The state controls the number of liquor licenses granted to Boston businesses and due to a secondary market, they can often be resold for more than $500,000.
Right now, there are roughly 1,400 liquor licenses in Boston and according to State Senator Liz Miranda, 2% belong to businesses owners of color.
On Monday, the Massachusetts Senate agreed on a bill that would bring reform to the current system. If it passes, the bill would grant an additional 264 liquor licenses that would be phased in by zip code over several years. The free licenses would need to be applied for and some will be deemed as non-transferable, under the current bill.
Advertisement
“Disparities send a clear message”
Boston City Councilor Brian Worrell has been working with the state on this for over a year. “We already know the amount of money it takes to start a business, especially a restaurant,” Worrell said. “So, $600,000 is a burden to restaurant owners, especially those who are Black and Brown.”
Worrell said Mattapan has six liquor licenses and Blue Hill Avenue, a main thoroughfare in the city, has just six on its route.
“So, when you compare that to other neighborhoods that have 80 like the Back Bay, the disparities send a clear message,” Worrell said.
Boost for business, neighborhoods
Andre Williams has owned and operated his Cool Shade restaurant in Dorchester for two years. He has been trying to get a liquor license since before the doors even opened.
“Liquor licenses are expensive so a lot of people can’t’ afford it,” said Williams. “Maybe it’s the community that we are in. If we had a liquor license it would revitalize our neighborhood. It would also boost business for local restaurants here in Boston.”
Advertisement
The House has its own version of this bill. The two chambers are set to come together to discuss in a committee meeting scheduled for later this week.
Brandon Truitt
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox
