Boston Board Votes to Consider 'Bring Your Own Booze' Rule

Boston, MA - The city licensing board voted Thursday to begin work on a "BYOB" policy in Boston, letting patrons "Bring Your Own" beer, wine, and liquor to restaurants.

The mayor's press office on Thursday said the licensing board unanimously approved a motion that would open up the city's current rules for possible amendment.

That allows the board to re-examine the regulations currently in place for bring-your-own policies, and possibly make changes. In the interim, they will likely host public hearings and offer other chances for the community to weigh in.

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Boston Mayor Marty Walsh teased the pending changes in a radio interview Wednesday, describing it as providing options for restaurants who don't have a liquor licenses, and hopefully encouraging businesses to open in areas with fewer restaurants.

It's also a chance for a city without late-night public transit or after-work Happy Hours to shed some measure of its puritan stereotypes.

Walsh said he expects the policy will be narrowly tailored, prohibiting restaurant patrons from bringing wine or liquor in mass quantities. In that way, he hopes, it will diminish the impact on restaurants who currently hold liquor licenses.

Although Walsh's interview Wednesday appeared to suggest that BYOB policy change would immediately take effect, Thursday's vote merely kicks off the process.