Public Hearing on Liquor License for Hooters in Dedham

On Monday, March 28, at 7:30 at Dedham Town Hall ,the Dedham Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on the request to transfer the Summer Shack liquor license to a new establishment, Hooters.

While the specific nature of Hooter's brand may not be a valid legal argument to deny the license, there are other arguments that residents can raise:

• Traffic and parking concerns continue to be a concern at that intersection. There is insufficient infrastructure in that area to support further business development. Any Dedham resident knows it can take 30 minutes to cross from one end of Dedham to another following Route 1.
• This is not a restaurant. It is a bar that brands itself as “adult entertainment.” On their website, a waitress describes the “experience”… “as a party.” Such an establishment is not looking to sell food but instead alcohol.There are at least 8 other establishment in the area with liquor licenses. Thus, this area is already sufficiently saturated with liquor licenses.
• Given limited liquor licenses, preference should be given to smaller locally owned establishments in other parts of town that are in need of economic development and not on the already crowded Route 1 area.

In addition, The town’s liquor license rules and regulations state, “no licensee shall make any distinction, discrimination, or restriction of service, access, or treatment on account of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or ancestry.” Hooters has a long history of complaints based upon sexual and racial discrimination. As such, any organization with such complaints does not warrant a liquor license in this community.

Please attend on Monday, March 28th at 7:30 PM to raise your concerns to the Dedham Board of Selectmen.

If unable to attend, please email your comments to the Board of Selectmen at:

• Email: freshideas@dedham-ma.gov
• Michael L. Butler, Chairman, mbutler@dedham-ma.gov
• Dennis J. Guilfoyle, Vice Chairman, dguilfoyle@dedham-ma.gov
• James A. MacDonald, jmacdonald@dedham-ma.gov
• Dennis J. Teehan, Jr., dteehan@dedham-ma.gov
• Brendan G. Keogh; Brendan.keogh@verizon.net