 |
| 波士頓市長吳弭宣佈精簡餐飲業審批流程提案。 （波士頓市長辦公室圖片，John Wilcox攝） |
根據波士頓市政府的現有區域規劃法（Zoning Code），「外賣服務」是獨立的土地用途，一旦餐館或咖啡廳等餐飲業轉手時，即使新業主接手後的營運模式和以前完全一樣，但是因爲有外賣，依照政府原有法規，就被當作有新的土地使用行為而觸發冗長的額外審查。
吳弭政府指出，因此區域法規更新是要透過更新「餐館定義」，以因應今時今日的餐飲業經營模式，進而取消因外賣觸發的不必要審批。如此一來，以「頂讓」方式接手餐館、咖啡、烘焙、冰淇淋等餐飲生意的新業主，如果經營內容、模式和原有的餐飲業完全一樣，等待審批（zoning review）開業的流程，將可從 4 個月縮短到 2 週，業者在正式開張營業前，將不必再為等待審批而多付幾萬美元的空轉租金等成本。
這項分區法規修正案，將先由波士頓規劃局（BPDA）董事會審議，通過後再正式提請分區委員會（Zoning Commission）審查。波士頓執照委員會（Licensing Board）將保有原本的監管職責。
餐飲業界普遍肯定這項鬆綁措施。麻州餐飲協會（Massachusetts Restaurant Association）執行長克拉克（Steve Clark）指出，任何簡化餐飲業開業審批的地方政策都值得歡迎，這項常識性修法將消除多餘的法規摩擦，讓業者將心力專注於實質經營上。在麥特潘（Mattapan）經營 Marabou Cafe 的業者伊諾森（Paulette Innocent）也表示，市府傾聽小微企業心聲，真正降低了在地創業門檻。
波士頓規劃局在未來數月內，還將汲取過去五年在麥特潘廣場、羅斯林代爾廣場、市中心及東波士頓的經驗，推動全市商業與住商混合區的區域規劃現代化，擴大允許設立餐廳的街區範圍。此外，市府也將建立一站式窗口，針對「單純轉讓所有權」的案件，整合並簡化一般餐飲執照（CV license）、餐飲服務許可（Food Service Permit）及娛樂執照的申領步驟，避免申請人因缺漏公文，延遲了開業日期。
Highlights:
• Boston proposed zoning reforms cutting restaurant ownership transfer reviews to under two weeks.
• Takeout services will no longer trigger separate zoning reviews during existing restaurant transfers.
• The amendment goes to the BPDA Board before final Zoning Commission review.
• An upgraded one-stop portal streamlines Common Victualler, Food Service, and Entertainment licensing.
• Boston proposed zoning reforms cutting restaurant ownership transfer reviews to under two weeks.
• Takeout services will no longer trigger separate zoning reviews during existing restaurant transfers.
• The amendment goes to the BPDA Board before final Zoning Commission review.
• An upgraded one-stop portal streamlines Common Victualler, Food Service, and Entertainment licensing.
MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES ZONING REFORMS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO OPEN AND RUN A RESTAURANT IN BOSTON
Proposed changes will cut permitting delays, simplify ownership transfers, and help restaurants open faster
BOSTON - October 27, 2026 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced a series of reforms to make it easier and faster to open and operate a restaurant in Boston. The City is proposing zoning changes to eliminate unnecessary reviews, streamline the process for transferring restaurant ownership, and provide clearer guidance for business owners navigating City permits and licenses. Together, these reforms will help reduce costs, support entrepreneurs, and allow more businesses to open across neighborhoods.
“Boston is cutting through red tape so entrepreneurs can open their doors sooner, saving time and money, and building sustainable businesses,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “By simplifying the permitting process, eliminating duplicate steps, and making information clear and accessible, we are helping more entrepreneurs choose Boston as their homebase, create jobs and support our neighborhoods. We thank all our City teams who have listened to feedback from business owners across the City and worked to make these changes happen.”
The City is proposing multiple updates to the zoning code over the next several months. The first proposed change would update the City’s definition of a restaurant in order to better reflect how businesses operate today and remove unnecessary barriers to transferring ownership. Under current rules, takeout service is treated as a separate use, which can trigger additional zoning review even when a new owner takes over an existing restaurant or coffee shop without changing its operations. According to restaurant owners, these reviews can delay openings for months, leaving owners paying rent while their businesses remain closed. This update will be first considered by the BPDA Board and then petitioned for review by the Zoning Commission.
The proposed change would eliminate the need for additional zoning review triggered solely by takeout service, while maintaining Licensing Board oversight. The change is expected to reduce the time it takes new owners purchasing an existing restaurant to open from four months to less than two weeks, saving them tens of thousands of dollars before opening to the public. It would particularly benefit businesses like coffee shops, bakeries, and ice cream shops whose sole business is based on takeout.
“These are common sense reforms that will support our small businesses and inject life into our local economy,” said Chief of Planning Kairos Shen. “I look forward to working with our staff to advance these updates to our zoning code which will add to the vitality of our commercial districts, and continue some of the great rezoning work we’ve already completed around the city.”
In the coming months, the Planning Department will also begin a broader effort to modernize restaurant zoning in commercial and mixed-used districts citywide. Building on recent zoning changes in Mattapan Square, Roslindale Square, Downtown and East Boston over the last five years, the City will launch a process to modernize zoning, working to allow restaurants in more areas where they are already a common part of neighborhood commercial life. These changes would help from corner coffee shops to vibrant sit down eateries to open more quickly in these districts and support a more diverse small business community. The Licensing Board will continue to oversee restaurant licensing and operations in these areas.
“Streamlining licensing transactions helps entrepreneurs get their businesses up and running faster,” said Chair of the Boston Licensing Board Kathleen Joyce. “The City is committed to making the process more efficient and helping businesses to begin operating in a timely manner while maintaining appropriate oversight."
“Anytime a municipality can make it easier for restaurants to open and operate is a good thing, and this move in Boston is a welcome change,” said Steve Clark, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. “This common sense change from the City will streamline the regulatory process and allow restaurant owners to focus more time on their business and serving their guests.”
“Opening Marabou Cafe in Mattapan has been a dream made possible by hard work and a community that believed in us,” said Paulette Innocent, co-owner of Marabou Cafe. “Mayor Wu and the City have shown up for us, listened to our ideas and helped us launch our business. These changes will make it easier for more entrepreneurs to open their doors and bring their dreams to life.”
The City is also updating its “How to Open a Restaurant” guide and “Start or Grow a Business” page webpage with clearer, step-by-step instructions for opening a restaurant or purchasing an existing one. The updated guidance will explain a new simplified process for obtaining a Common Victualler (CV) license, and Food Service Permit and Entertainment license when a restaurant is changing ownership only. Business owners will be able to navigate the permitting process all in one place, helping them to submit complete applications and avoid delays.
These changes build on various reforms the City has made over the past five years to reduce costs, simplify permitting and help small businesses open and grow, including:
• Adopting digital Certificates of Occupancy: Replaced the in-person Certificate of Occupancy application process with a digital system that can automatically initiate applications after final inspections, eliminating a trip for City offices. To date, 67 applications have been initiated through this digital process.
• Simplifying the Outdoor Dining Permit program: Allowed eligible restaurants with outdoor patios on their property to transition from annual temporary permits to permanent Use of Premises permits, eliminating the need to reapply with the Inspectional Service Department (ISD) each year. This allows eligible businesses to continue operating seasonal outdoor patios on private property while providing greater predictability and reducing administrative burden. So far, 69 businesses have made the switch, allowing these businesses to maintain their patio operations in perpetuity without having to pay the permit fee again. This year, the City announced an extension to the 2026 Outdoor Dining and Food Truck Season through November 15th, 2026.
• Removing Certificate of Inspection annual renewals: Removed the annual Certificate of Inspection (CI) and reoccurring inspection requirement for certain establishments with a capacity of less than 50 and no alcohol service. More than 1,000 small businesses have benefited, saving time and tens of thousands of dollars in combined fees.
• Speeding up sign permitting: Completed Boston’s first comprehensive update to sign zoning in more than 50 years, reducing permitting timelines from approximately. The changes lay out approved parameters for signage permitted by ISD, cutting sign permitting timelines from 150 days to 30 days or less.
• Expanding access to liquor licenses: In September 2024, the Governor signed into law legislation that was advanced by Mayor Wu, the Boston state delegation and the City Council, creating 225 new liquor licenses over three years, the greatest expansion of licenses since Prohibition to advance opportunities for restaurants across Boston neighborhoods.
This work is part of a broader interdepartmental initiative to transform the City’s permitting process involving more than 30 team members from the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Innovation and Technology, Planning, and Law. More than 200 stakeholders across the City have participated in the initiative, which seeks to ensure a predictable, transparent, and efficient experience from residents’ and business owners' first interaction with the City
沒有留言:
發佈留言