Last week the Boston Licensing Board approved plans for a new ‘pan-Latin’ restaurant on the corner of Border and Decatur Street inside a commercial space created by NOAH (East Boston Neighborhood of Affordable Housing) as part of its Coppersmith Village project.
According to the proposal before the Licensing Board last week, Pearl & Lime Restaurant, which will be managed and partly owned by lifelong Eastie resident Vanik Hacopian, plans to obtain a seven day all alcoholic license for the planned 3,626 square foot restaurant. Attorney Andrew Upton told the board his clients plan to create 3,071 square feet inside and an additional 555 square foot seasonal outdoor patio with 40 seats. Upton said the patio would close by 10 a.m. but the indoor portion of the restaurant would remain open until 1 a.m.
“Pearl and Lime is a fresh pan-Latin concept with neighborhood price points and a commitment to being part of the community,” said Upton. “Fresh food and a comfortable modern atmosphere and decor will be the calling cards of this new neighborhood restaurant. The character and fitness of this applicant is clear. This is the team that’s behind Pearl and Lime in Quincy and are a family friendly, fresh pan-Latin concept that has become a neighborhood fixture and has had no violations or complaints from their neighbors. They’ve proven this concept and are excited about this East Boston location. Further their landlord, NOAH, has chosen this team due to their sensitivity to the residents, the neighbors and the community.”
The planned restaurant approved last week received support from City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Rep. Adrian Madaro as well as the Maverick Square Neighborhood Association (MSNA).
Hacopian, who will be the manager of the restaurant, is a lifelong East Boston resident and grew up in Eagle Hill. He lived as a professional skateboarder in California for a few years before returning to Eastie and settling in Jeffries Point.
“He and his family are part owners of this restaurant,” said Upton. “He’s got plenty of experience with the rules and regulations and there’s an obvious economic need for the Board to support a moderately priced restaurant. There’s a landlord (NOAH) who selected these operators as the best candidates to run a restaurant with this space. In the last couple of years, there was another proposed operator who would not commit to a ‘food first’ neighborhood concept and could not generate enough support for their application. Pearl and Lime has gotten magnanimous support from the MSNA and has not received any opposition thus far. We have also submitted a letter of support from City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Rep. Adrian Madaro.”
Upton added that there will be no dance floor nor any live music and would only be applying for a non-live entertainment license that would include TVs and background music.”
Hacopian told the Board he has been in the restaurant business for the past 20 years and came up with this concept with his business partner Devin Adams.
“I actually started shopping around the idea of opening a place in East Boston that long ago,” said Hacopian. “My main goal not only is it a dream to have a restaurant in my neighborhood, but it’s to provide something that we don’t really get. As industry workers living in East Boston we’d like to provide the same type of service that Boston offers without having to go into town and pay for an Uber to come home. When Devin and his partner opened Pearl and Lime in Quincy it was an immediate hit and with me living in East Boston my family and I would travel all the way to Quincy to get the experience that they are offering. With the opportunity that NOAH has offered us in this building we want to provide a type of atmosphere that will kind of give the guests an experience of escapism when they come in. We are offering a type of Latin cuisine that covers Mexican, Central American, and some South American foods. We also want to elevate our guests’ experience by bringing high quality cocktails with a beautiful design in a cozy atmosphere that has prices that are affordable to all. We don’t want to price anyone out and we feel that this relationship with NOAH will give us that opportunity.”