Foxborough Reclaims Alcohol License From Toby Keith's

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Two weeks after granting a liquor license to Six String Grill and Stage, the bar and music venue replacing Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill, the selectmen voted to formally reclaim Toby Keith's alcohol license. Tuesday night's unanimous vote came after a brief public hearing required by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

According to Town Manager William Keegan, town officials repeatedly tried contacting Toby Keith's regarding the licensing, but never heard from them. The license will be reissued to a new business, the Sun Chronicle reported.

The Route 1 bar and country music venue was the last of 20 Toby Keith's franchises owned by a former organized crime figure, who authorities said ran an illegal real estate leasing scam, pocketing millions from dozens of mall developers across the country. The other 19 restaurants closed between 2014 and 2015.

During Tuesday's public hearing, Brian Early, vice president and general manager at Patriot Place told the selectmen negotiated an agreement that would have terminated Toby Keith's lease and returned the alcohol license to Foxborough. According to Early, further developments caused Patriot Place to file for eviction last October. The filing prompted a new agreement allowing Toby Keith's to stay in business until Jan. 31.

The bar abruptly closed two days earlier with Toby Keith's blaming Patriot Place, calling their business practices, "very greedy." Patriot Place disputed the claims.

With Toby Keith's gone, Six String Grill and Stage will open later this year. The restaurant and live music venue will have "American classics, Southern-style fare, and inventive dishes,"according to the Briar Group, the group operating the restaurant.