When we last discussed the continuing drama over the B-Side Lounge in Cambridge, the city’s licensing commission and the former bar’s neighbors were raking new owner Daniel Lanigan over the coals about a series of issues, including the new bar’s projected food-to-alcohol sales ratio and how the new owners would minimize noise and annoyance to the bar’s neighbors. It was a contentious hearing, as the lengthy transcript I posted reflected, and it ended with a continuance and further investigation. Although I’ve been periodically checking the licensing board’s website, thanks to alert reader Eric S., we now have an update.

The licensing commission met on March 24, 2009, to continue Lanigan’s unfortunate roasting. The commission reluctantly accepted Lanigan’s suggestion that the food-to-alcohol ratio would be 65-35 or 70-30 (although it politely threatened to pull his receipts to confirm this). The commission also politely suggested that Lanigan was free to open a bar somewhere else (outside of Cambridge is my read), if he wanted a higher alcohol sales ratio. Lanigan also reported that his head chef will be Matt Bailey, formerly of Mistral and Teatro.

The commission then briefly roasted Lanigan over the coals for some misstatements in his prior licensing record.

In another interesting turn, Lanigan then offered a copy of BeerAdvocate Magazine’s lauding of his previous establishments as further proof of his suitability as a license holder. BeerAdvocate also gets mentioned as one of the commissioners spent some time on the site reading about the Lord Hobo’s plans.

After adjourning the hearing, the commission met again on April 2 and again hotly debated whether to grant Lanigan the license. After the debate, which included the concerned input of a member of the Cambridge City Council, the commission voted to allow the license transfer with several conditions. The commission is requiring the Lord Hobo to submit monthly revenue receipts to demonstrate that it really does achieve its stated food-to-alcohol ratio and that the license is conditionally only allowed until 1 a.m., with the agreement of Lanigan.

It’s been a tough go of it for Lanigan and his supporters and I look forward to seeing what he does with the place.

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