By Dan Murphy
Trident Booksellers & Café at 338 Newbury St.
Patrons of the Trident Booksellers & Cafe on Newbury Street in the Back Bay will soon be able to indulge in stronger libations, after the Boston Licensing Board approved a proposed upgrade of the longstanding, independent business’s previous beer, wine, and cordials license to an all-alcohol license on Feb. 12.
The upgraded liquor license would allow Trident at 338 Newbury St. to offer specialty cocktails in its new private event space and during regularly scheduled public and private events, as well as to offer Bloody Marys during brunch, said Michael Lemanski, general manager, during the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay (NABB) Licensing and Building Use Committee’s monthly meeting held virtually on Jan. 5.
(Trident, which serves breakfast all day, already has a counter space, with a few beers on tap, but Lemanski said this space would remain devoted mainly to tea and expresso drinks.)
Trident intends to keep its current daily hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., said Lemanski.
Of receiving the full liquor-license upgrade, Kimberly Flynn, director at Trident Booksellers & Cafe, wrote in an email: “This is a big step for us, and we really appreciate the opportunity the City of Boston is giving us with an upgrade to an all-alcohol license. It will help us keep the Trident vibrant, support our community events, and continue creating the kind of welcoming gathering space Boston really needs.”
Added Flynn: “We’ll have simple, well-made classic cocktails, featured brunch cocktails, plus some cheeky literary-inspired drinks that feel very Trident. We’re excited because it opens the door to some really fun additions to our menu and will enhance the overall guest experience.”
In another matter, Life Time Club & Fitness Center, a private gym at the Prudential Center, also received an approval from the Boston Licensing Board on Feb. 12 to upgrade its beer, wine, and cordials license to a full liquor license.
The Back Bay outpost of Minnesota-based Life Time opened last October and spans nearly 60,000 square feet across the retail spaces formerly occupied by Boston Sports Club and Barnes & Noble. The gym now has a beer, wine, and cordials license for its private second-floor café and lounge, which is open only to members and their guests, as well as for pop-up events, held either in studios or in other parts of the facility.
At NABB’s Licensing and Building Use Committee’s virtually meeting on Jan. 5, Helen Loc, café leader for Life Time at the Prudential Center, cited a “strong demand” for a liquor license at the café since it first opened.
Moreover, Jon Aieta, an attorney for the applicant, said other area Life Time locations, such as in nearby Chestnut Hill, Newton, Burlington, and Peabody, already offer full liquor licenses in their respective private cafes.
The café’s closing hours of 8 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends would remain the same, although Aieta said the business intends to keep its allowable midnight closing time for events.
Both applicants, along with several other applicants from other neighborhoods, must now receive approval from the state’s ABCC (Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission), before the proposed upgrades to their respective liquor licenses can take effect.