The City of Boston Licensing Board has given the OK for Domino’s Pizza to open a location at 277 Main Street.
The go ahead includes the right for the business to operate until 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and until midnight, Thursday through Saturday.
The Licensing Board approval followed a contentious series of public meetings and discussion regarding the placement of a fast food pizza outlet on Main Street.
Although large numbers of neighborhood residents did not get involved in the discussion, the opening of a Domino’s at that location stirred a great deal of discussion among those for and against.
The against folks seemed to have the edge in numbers to those who felt it should be approved but in the end it didn’t matter.
The Licensing Board listened to proponents and opponents at last Thursday’s hearing at City Hall. Nearly a dozen local people protested the coming of a Domino’s. Earlier, the Charlestown Neighborhood Council voted against the proposal as well.
Some residents had voiced concerns about traffic, about the efficacy of having a franchise store on Main Street and others commented that Charlestown did not need another pizza store.
However, the owner of the franchise which will shortly be locating here noted that his North End store has been delivering to Charlestown without incident or trouble of any kind for more than two decades.
Rob Rivard said that a Domino’s on Main Street would simply be serving a need for residents here and making pizza more convenient for them while adding dozens of new jobs and in addition spending several hundred thousands of dollars to remake the location.
In the end, the Licensing Board agreed with the proponents.
This caused a great deal of bitterness among those who fought against the proposal.
Rivard gave no date for opening but it is expected the build out will take about two months.