A fast-casual Italian restaurant known and named for its signature chicken parmesan is tentatively set to open in the Copley Mall in the next couple of months, according to representatives for the venture on hand for the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay Licensing and Building Use Committee’s March 7 meeting, which was held virtually.
Parm plans to open in the former Tender Greens space across from the Back Bay MBTA station on the Dartmouth Street side of the mall, just down from Neiman Marcus and adjacent to The Salty Pig, in April or May, “but we’re really at mercy of all our suppliers,” said Julia Pei, president of business development for the Major Food Group (MFG), the New York-based restaurant group that owns Parm, as well as Contessa, the restaurant at The Newbury Boston hotel.
Parm launched its first location in 2011 in New York City’s Little Italy and will open its sixth location in the next few weeks at the Burlington Mall. The chain of eateries has been lauded by multiple publications for having one of the best chicken parmesan sandwiches in the U.S., while one-third of its entries, which will have price points between $15 and $25 are some spin on the chicken parmesan, said Pei.
The Back Bay outpost of Parm would have seating for 70 inside, including a separate bar right by the entrance with 10 to 15 seats, said Pei, while the outdoor patio would seat between 30 and 40 patrons. (MFG is in the process of securing a permit for the outdoor patio from the MBTA, said Pei.)
The restaurant would be open for lunch and dinner, said Pei, with proposed hours of 11 a.m. to midnight (with a 1 a.m. license).
Dennis Quilty, the applicant’s attorney, said he expects that Parm would seek the same patio hours as The Salty Pig’s outdoor dining space, although he didn’t know their hours offhand.
Parm is seeking the transfer of a liquor license from Boston Chops in the South End, said Quilty, while the liquor license from Boston Chop’s soon-to-be-shuttered second location in Downton Crossing would be transferred to its South End restaurant.
In another matter, representatives from Raising Cane’s, a chicken finger-themed restaurant chain that plans to open a new location in the old Forum space on Boylston Street, were back before the LBU Committee regarding their outdoor patio space. (The same applicant made their presentation to the committee about a year ago, and NABB didn’t oppose their proposal at that time.)
Marci Costa, the applicant’s attorney, said they would be going before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeal for an extension of the non-conforming use, as well as to add two seats to the patio for a total of 14 seats.
The Back Bay Architectural Commission has already approved the applicant’s plan, said Costa, while the applicant also had an abutters meeting scheduled for March 8.
Raising Cain is expected to open in August at 775 Boylston St., said restaurant spokesman Adam Caracci .
Conrad Armstrong, chair of NABB’s LBU Committee, told the applicant he would get back to them by Friday with a decision.