ORDER-2017-91 : Application of Mohammed Riad Karcouche and Djillali Belabbes for a Common Victualler License: DJ&R LLC d/b/a Gerry's Pizza, 517 Main Street, Melrose, MA

Transcript (~5 min @ 6:18)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 5:59 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: anyone who would like to come forward to discuss any of the three orders that we have this evening see and then motion to close public participation Alderman Inferno moves to close seconded by Alderman Lemmerman all in favor aye the public participation is closed as I said we have three orders this evening the first one is order two zero one seven dash nine one it's an application of Mahmoud Raid Kukush and DeLagi Balabas for a common virtual license DJ and R LLC doing business as Jerry's Pizza at 517 Main Street in Melrose motion to suspend the rules second in front of move seconded by Alderman Boisselle all in favor aye and gentlemen would you like to step

▶ 6:51 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: forward to the table please so we do have your application attached to this order and it appears as though everything is in order you have received the necessary approvals from all of the city officials and you have also supplied information regarding your LLC and your certificate of insurance so would you like to introduce yourselves and tell us about your business I'm

▶ 7:17 Speaker 1: much a lot of labus I live in Cambridge I I have a restaurant in Cambridge with my wife called village kitchen so i've been well i've been doing this business for last since i came to this country i mean i work in the restaurant for like 15 years and after i opened this business for last 12 years and now on huron avenue on in cambridge so i trying to expand with with my friend, hopefully we can come up with something. I met the owner of Jerry's Pizza. So we talked a little bit. I looked at his menu, trying to come to the neighborhood. So hopefully I can introduce more of Italian cuisine, which is what I do over there. I see what he has, like pizzas and sandwiches. Hopefully I can add more to it. So it's like a fucking more gourmet pizza, more like a more healthier stuff. That's what I do over there.

▶ 8:30 Speaker 1: Like lobster ravioli, clams linguine, things like that. That's the whole main thing. So I'm more gourmet pizza like, I don't know, grilled chicken with pesto sauce, things like that. That's my main thing. And I have my friend here, He's got more details on that.

▶ 8:51 Speaker 1: Riyad Karkoush, Hi, everyone. My name is Riyad Karkoush. I've been a chef since 1993. I'm also owner of a catering business. I've been doing business with the museum school, known as the SMFA, since 2002, still in business. Lately, this last summer, Tufts University took over the MFA. I'm still doing business with them. So I do all the events for the school. My other partner does the cafe, which is the daily operation. I'm not really involved with the cafe operation, even if I'm partner. I do more the catering part. And Jelani and I are friends, and we want to expand business, so this opportunity came, and, you know, we looked at the city, the place, and, you know, we like it. So, hopefully, we'll be in business.

▶ 9:57 Gail Infurna: Questions from the committee? Alderman Inferno. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. Thank you, and welcome to Melrose. I see on Saturday and Sunday, it's going to be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the applicant here. So you're going to be serving breakfast, it looks like, on a Saturday and Sunday?

▶ 10:13 Speaker 1: Well, that's what we're hoping. Yeah, we're not going to do it right away, honestly. We're trying to, in the beginning, focus on lunch and dinner.

▶ 10:25 Speaker 1: We establish the business, hopefully, for the first six months, if we can, or the first year, if things goes well. That's what we're hoping, because the place has more potential to do a brunch. Okay. And we looked at the area. There is no like a branch area. We're hoping hopefully it can work out.

▶ 10:46 Gail Infurna: All right. And the name of the place is still gonna be Jerry's Pizza? Yes. At this time? Yeah. Okay. And 32 seats is the same capacity that they have? Very good. Thank you very much. Is there anyone else from the committee?

▶ 11:02 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Any non-committee members have questions? Do we have a motion to approve? Motion to recommend. Second. Alderman Boisselle moves to recommend, seconded by Alderman Lemmerman, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? That order is recommended, and it will go to the full board, which is meeting next Tuesday on the 21st, and you are not required to be here. Thank you very much, and good luck.

▶ 11:26 Speaker 2: Thank you very much.

▶ 11:27 Speaker 3: Thank you. Good luck guys. Thank you. Thank you. Good luck. Thank you.

▶ 11:31 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Bye. Have a good night.

▶ 11:33 Speaker 4: You too.

▶ 11:36 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Thank you. second order is order number 2017-87 it's the acceptance of an emd fy 2017 training grant in the amount of seventy six thousand seventy dollars and sixty one cents from the commonwealth of massachusetts executive office of public safety fund number four zero zero six we already are in suspension of rules so i see that we have chief lyle with us this evening would you like to come