Centerfield’s restaurant loses liquor license

The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday night to immediately revoke the liquor license of Centerfield’s Bar & Grille after nearly a year of inactivity at the beleaguered downtown restaurant.

The decision was unanimous, with Selectman Bob Burr recusing himself as he had done with previous hearings involving the restaurant.

The revocation of the license allows the board to issue another license to a different restaurant owner, although Centerfield’s owner, James Marathas, has five days to appeal the selectmen’s decision to the state Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC).

At their last hearing on November 5, selectmen had agreed to give Marathas one more week to finalize the sale of his restaurant to William Apazidis, who owns a restaurant in Randolph.

Marathas has been embroiled in a dispute with the zoning board, the building commissioner, and the Forge Pond Condominium Association over the last two years — primarily involving the use of parking spaces by postal employees — which he said led directly to the restaurant being closed.

Selectmen became involved because no meals taxes had been paid and the liquor license had been inactive since January. Since October Marathas has been marketing the restaurant for sale. One deal fell through and the second one between he and Apazidis is under negotiations with the brokers for both parties.

Marathas told selectmen Tuesday night that Apazidis was interested in purchasing the restaurant but that a lien had been placed on the property pending a court decision, which is expected in early December. Marathas said he was also informed that Building Commissioner Ed Walsh would soon render a decision on whether or not the parking arrangement constituted a violation of the special permit originally issued by the zoning board.

Salvatori said selectmen began inquiring about the status of the restaurant in February — a month after it closed its doors — and that the board had given Marathas enough time for the process to be properly vetted.

“At this time there is no indication of the restaurant reopening,” said Salvatori.

Prior to the board’s vote, Town Counsel Paul DeRensis told selectmen that from his research, Marathas had a 10-year lease with the landlord that expired in 2012 and that no rent had been paid for more than a year. He also read to selectmen a portion of state law, which states that the licensing authority (selectmen) can, after reasonable opportunity, cancel the license if it is shown that there is no business being conducted from the premises.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Nov 14 2013. Filed under Business. Both comments and pings are currently closed.