Selectmen Mulling Ten Liquor Store Applications

Most of the ten applicants for the Needham liquor licenses will be drowning their sorrows in the next few weeks, as only a handful of the six possible licenses are expected to be issued. 

The town accepted applications for the town's liquor licenses from Jan. 7 to Jan. 18, and has ten applicants (list below). With approval of the November ballot question, Needham has the ability to issue up to six licenses for the retail sale of beer, wine and liquor in town, with two additional wine and beer licenses available after 2018, for a total of eight.

However, Selectmen vice-chair Daniel Matthews said, at their meeting earlier this week, that the Board has, "no intention of issuing all six in first round."

Hearings for the ten businesses are coming up at an early morning meeting in the Performance Center at the Broadmeadow Elementary School on Feb. 2, which could go all day. If you are unable to make it to the meeting, however, feedback can also be sent to the Board of Selectmen at Town Hall:

Board of Selectmen
c/o Needham Town Hall,
1471 Highland Avenue,
Needham, MA

or selectmen@needhamma.gov.

The following ten businesses have applied for licenses: 

• 1257 Highland Avenue, Needham Wine & Spirits, Michael O'Connell
• 292 Forest Street, Volante Farms, Inc., Dave Volante
• 1013 Great Plain Avenue, Needham Center Wine & Spirits, Christopher Lianos
• 922-932 Great Plain Avenue, Craft Liquors, Edward Spivak
• 679 Highland Avenue, Blanchards Wines & Spirits, Christine Elder
• 922 Highland Avenue, Vinodivino, Raphael Keller-Go
• 855 Highland Avenue, Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors, David Gordon
• 33 Highland Avenue, Highland Ave Wine & Spirits, Marc Idelson
• 65 Crawford Street, Bin Ends, John Hafferty
• 50 Central Avenue, Panella's Market & Deli, Jeffrey Panella

A post on the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce website says an eleventh business submitted an incomplete application, and will not be among those considered.

[Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Selectman Daniel Matthews as the chairperson. This has been corrected.]