Politics & Government

Selectmen Revoke Brutole's Liquor License

The owners of the former restaurant declined an invitation to go before the board on Thursday.

A clearly frustrated Board of Selectmen voted to revoke the liquor license for Brutole, the former Route 1 eatery, on Thursday.

Town Manager Wayne Marquis said the owners have still not paid the $4,600 renewal fee for the liquor license or the more than $12,000 utility bills. The selectmen were also not pleased that Brutole’s owners did not tell the town when it closed in February and performed plumbing and electrical work without permits.

In March, the selectmen gave Brutole’s owners a month to pay for the liquor license renewal and utility bills and sell the liquor license within six months. However, the bills remain outstanding and the license has not been sold so the board held a meeting on Thursday to revoke the license.

Find out what's happening in Danverswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The selectmen invited the owners to the public hearing, but they declined the board’s request.

Selectman Gardner Trask, who served as chairman during the previous two discussions about Brutole, said the restaurant’s owners rejected “a lot of good will extended by this board.”

Find out what's happening in Danverswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“They have clearly indicated that they do not intend to make good,” said Trask. “They have made no effort to correct any of the actions that we’ve discussed."

The town will alert the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission of the revocation. Danvers hopes to make the license available to another eatery once the ABCC process is completed. At an April meeting, Selectwoman Diane Langlais lamented the fact that Danvers could lose the liquor license for two or three years if Brutole’s owners appeal the selectmen’s decision to the ABCC.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here