ORDER-2021-101 : Application of Caffe Nero Americans Inc., d/b/a Caffe Nero- 530 Main Street, Melrose for a Common Victualler License

Transcript (~9 min @ 2:35)

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▶ 2:32 Mark Garipay: and that is the application of Cafe Nero Americans Inc., DBA Cafe Nero, 530 Main Street, Melrose for a common ritualer license. At this time, I will entertain a motion

▶ 2:47 Speaker 3: to suspend the rules, suspend the rules

▶ 2:49 Mark Garipay: so we can hear from the invited guests or the applicant.

▶ 2:54 Speaker 5: Motion to suspend the rules.

▶ 2:59 Mark Garipay: 2nd, a motion to suspend the rules by council and make not 2nd, and by consular Thomas.

▶ 3:04 Speaker 4: Miss, what can you please call the role?

▶ 3:06 Speaker 2: Yes, yes. Yes. Counselor. Yes. Counselor Grigoraitis. Yes, yes. Counselor Thomas. Yes. President.

▶ 3:23 Mark Garipay: Yes, yes, thank you. Um, could we bring in, um. The miss miss Katrina Sloan, who was the applicant that she's going to be with us.

▶ 3:35 Speaker 2: Coming in now, the Sloan, can you hear us? Hi, yeah, I can hear you. Can you see me? Okay.

▶ 3:42 Speaker 4: I miss Sloan.

▶ 3:48 Mark Garipay: We are, we're here if you'd like to talk a little bit, explain a little bit about your application in the process and some of the councils when you're through may have may have some questions. So I will turn the floor over to you.

▶ 3:59 Speaker 2: Okay, hi, I'm Katrina Sloan. I'm a project manager with Cafe Nero. I work on all the design builds that we do throughout Massachusetts and our application is to open a 2700 square foot cafe at 530 main street melrose um seating capacity we have is 90 um 90 chairs inside and then we have a patio in the back as well um i know that a lot of people have been asking about capacity and stuff like that so we'll follow whatever melrose is doing at the time with regards to covid we do plan to put up plexiglass partitions in between the booths um If that's acceptable by the health department, stuff like that.

▶ 4:52 Mark Garipay: Thank you very much. We all had a copy of it was in the packet, your application, all the paperwork up to this point looks looks in order. So I will turn it over. If any, any counselors would like to ask some questions.

▶ 5:09 Jen Grigoraitis: Counselor, thank you chair and thank you miss Sloan for being here tonight. Cafe Nero is on Main Street, which is a part of Ward 6, which I represent. So, welcome to the ward. And I just had one question. I know it may be in your packet, but what's your anticipated opening date?

▶ 5:25 Speaker 2: So, right now we are anticipating April 12th. That's not set in stone. As you know, we're still in construction and construction can take a turn and we have to wait for all of the Building sign offs, which we're, we're planning on going for that 1st week in April, April 5th is when we're planning to get all final inspections and sign offs. And then, you know, we'll do a little bit of training. And then we plan to have a soft opening on April 12th. We usually do it from 7 a.m. to 3, and then we give out free coffee and other. Drinks throughout the day. Great. Thank you. And I'm hopeful that the patio will be available as soon as the weather warms up given that people are really eager for some outdoor dining. Yes, we have a really great patio actually. I don't know if it's if you're familiar, but it's, it's in the back of the new condo buildings and then it abouts that municipal parking lot in the back and we plan to open with the patio fully open. We'll have, um, we actually have such a nice patio that we have some soft seating going out there too. So some couches and. Stuff like that, so it's going to be really nice. We're excited for the patio.

▶ 6:38 Jen Grigoraitis: Right Thank you. We're excited too. I have no further questions.

▶ 6:44 Mark Garipay: Thank you counselor Thomas.

▶ 6:45 Cory Thomas: Thank you. Mr chairman. Um, it's slow and welcome. Welcome to the meeting and welcome to Melrose to Captain Nero. Um. Quickly and briefly, um. For people in Melrose that are not familiar with Cafe Nero's brand. Can you. Just talk a little bit about the interior aesthetics of this, this coffee shop doing this. This is not your garden variety coffee shop. Um, you know, it has a little bit more in regards to interior design. Could you talk a little bit about the concept?

▶ 7:16 Speaker 2: Sure, exactly. Caffe Nero is not, you know, a Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, no disrespect, but we aim to have, you know, a really cozy feel. We want people to think they're sitting in a European coffee shop. We have lots of antiques, antique furniture that we've reupholstered locally, but still is, you know, we use the antique frames and then we have them reupholstered locally to adhere to fire code. We have lots of old books on the bookshelves, lots of wood cladding on the wall, reclaimed wood on the floors, old style tile. It's a really nice, beautiful place. There's a fireplace in almost every one of our cafes as well, and there will be one going into the Melrose location also.

▶ 8:12 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Thank you.

▶ 8:17 Robb Stewart: Councillor Stewart. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Long, thank you for being here tonight. Just a couple of questions about Cafe Nero regarding your prevalence in Massachusetts. How many stores are in Massachusetts right now?

▶ 8:31 Speaker 2: We have, let's see, Melrose will be the 29th store in Massachusetts. We also have one in Brooklyn, New York, and one in Darien, Connecticut. We have a pretty heavy flow of stores in the city, in Boston proper. We don't have many. I think our closest one to Melrose is Arlington.

▶ 9:02 Robb Stewart: How many jobs do you anticipate this Cafe Nero will support for the Melrose community?

▶ 9:11 Speaker 2: Right now, we're hiring between five and seven people per cafe, and we will be seeking to hire from the Melrose area for baristas. We have a store manager that's already in place. We have seasoned store managers and area managers, but probably about six to seven baristas will be hiring for this location.

▶ 9:43 Robb Stewart: Okay. No more questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ms. Sloan.

▶ 9:46 Speaker 2: Thank you.

▶ 9:50 Jeff McNaught: Councilor McNaught. Sorry. Thank you Mr. Chair, Ms. Sloan. I just wanted to say, I'm sure I joined many others in saying that we're excited about Cafe Nero coming to town. And at this time, Mr. Chair, if there's no further discussion, I move for passage.

▶ 10:11 Mark Garipay: Second. Seeing no further discussion, a motion has been made by Councilman McNaught. Seconded by Councilor Grigoraitis.

▶ 10:20 Speaker 4: Could you please call the roll? Chair Garipay? Yes.

▶ 10:25 Speaker 2: Vice Chair Stewart? Yes. Councillor McNaught? Yes. Councillor Grigoraitis? Yes. Councillor Thomas? Yes. President Cinella? Yes. Six yes. Thank you.

▶ 10:45 Mark Garipay: Thank you, Ms. Sloan. This order will be sent to the full committee for approval at our next city council meeting. Uh, you don't have to attend, but that's that's the next process. Okay, let me be the 1st to thank you and, uh.

▶ 11:00 Speaker 2: Welcome to Melrose. Thank you so much. We're really excited to be joining Maros. Thanks so much. Take care have a nice day. Bye.

▶ 11:09 Mark Garipay: The next item on our agenda tonight is order 2021 dash 94. The reappointment of John J Higgins, the 3rd, 47, Melbourne street to the position of Constable.