Selectmen Approve Liquor License for Wayland Town Center Restaurant

The Local moved one step closer to bringing its locally sourced, classic American fare to Wayland Town Center last week with a vote by the Board of Selectmen.

Frank Santo, owner of the West Newton gastropub, announced in January that he had signed a lease to expand his restaurant business to Wayland Town Center. The Local will share a building at the development with Middlesex Savings Bank.

On Wednesday, Wayland selectmen approved an on premises, all-alcohol license for the restaurant, a necessary step on the way to The Local Wayland's target of opening on or near June 1.

Attorney Steve Bookbinder told selectmen that the restaurant will feature 6,000 square feet indoors in addition to an 800-square-foot patio area. In all, there will be 200 seats spread throughout three areas: 90 seats in the main dining area, 96 seats in the bar area (24 at the bar, 72 seats in the bar area); and 14 seats on the outdoor patio.

The license selectmen approved allows The Local to be open daily from 11 a.m.-1 a.m., hours that caused some discussion among selectmen.

Town Administrator Fred Turkington said that no other businesses in town are currently permitted to be open until 1 a.m. daily, though selectmen have granted special allowances on holidays such as New Year's Eve.

"We very rarely stay there until 1 o'clock," Santo assured selectmen. "I just want to avoid the situation of coming back to you and asking to stay open."

Bookbinder added that Santo's general practice in Newton has been to close up when the customers are gone, which is generally well before 1 a.m.

“I don’t have a problem," Selectman Joe Nolan said of the late closing time, continuing to tell Santo that "The community would appreciate discretion" when it comes to choosing nights to stay open that late.

Turkington suggested, and selectmen ultimately agreed, to grant the license with the requested hours, but to revisit the issue when the license needed to be renewed at the end of 2013. Additionally, selectmen plan to look into whether Wayland Town Center's overall development rules govern any of the businesses' hours of operation.

According to Bookbinder, Santo has never had an alcohol violation at his Newton restaurant, which opened in 2008, or at his Dedham restaurant, Isabella's, which he's operated since 1994.

"He runs a very tight operation," Bookbinder assured selectmen. "There’s no fooling around with the operation."

In addition to running that "tight operation" in Wayland, Nolan also encouraged Santo to "engage in the community."

Santo replied that becoming part of a community's fabric was part of The Local's brand.

“That’s part of the mission statement to be a part of whatever town we’re in," Santo said. "I thank the town for the opportunity and we look forward to doing business."

Selectmen Nolan, Ed Collins and Doug Leard approved the license. Selectmen John Bladon and Steve Correia were not present.