Liquor License Freed From Wine Nation Lawsuit

Wine Nation, the alcohol superstore whose license application denials by Braintree officials were upheld by a state authority, has dropped its appeal, leaving the permit unchained by a lawsuit filed last fall.

This leaves one all-alcohol package store license available in town, Board of License Commissioners Chair Joe Powers said during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon at , relaying a message from Town Solicitor Carolyn Murray.

The board also approved several license transfers for , granting the restaurant at the the go-ahead to continue operating the way it has been as it is purchased by an investment company headed by a British billionare listed in Forbes.

Joseph Lewis and his company will take over 22 locations – 13 in Massachusetts including Joe's in Braintree – from the Back Bay Restaurant Group, which will continue to own some of its Papa Razzi restaurants, according to attorney Karen Simao.

"He's a pretty impressive individual and he makes it a point to invest in successful operations," Simao said.

Both rejections for Wine Nation came in 2009, when Braintree officials questioned the public need for another package store and the added traffic on Granite Street. The retailer had planned to open in the former Linens 'n Things location.

Wine Nation then appealed to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, citing inaccurate traffic information, bias by local officials and invalid concerns about competition, according to Wicked Local Braintree. Last year, the commission voted to uphold Braintree's decision. An appeal was filed with Suffolk Superior Court in Boston on Oct. 15, 2010.

In other business, received special one-day alcohol permits for reunion events on May 20 and 21, and the board approved a special wine and malt license for on Wood Road, the official moulding company of the Boston Red Sox, for its customer appreciation day on April 2. A request for a food license for Elenas Cafe at 30 Braintree Hill Office Park was continued because no one from the requesting party appeared.

Also, Bickford's Grille has 20 days from March 12, when it , to contact the license board about its beer and wine permit, Powers said. Otherwise a hearing will be called to determine its status.