Domino's Owner Says Support Dwarfs Opposition

Nine Charlestown residents attended a hearing of the Boston Licensing Board, Wednesday, to oppose the application for a Domino’s Pizza to open on Main Street.

The residents largely repeated arguments heard at Charlestown Community Council , saying that they believed Charlestown had enough pizza businesses already and that the town would rather not have a national chain on Main Street.

Franchise Owner Rob Rivard noted that the residents who spoke at a represented a small fraction of the neighborhood’s population, and that the number of customers he already serves in town dwarfs that of the vocal opposition.

He and his consultant, Bill Mohan, said that the franchise could have circulated a petition like some opponents did, and could have recruited supporters to attend the 10 a.m. Wednesday meeting, but chose not to.

The pair did, however, submit a packet of letters supporting the business.

The board heard arguments for and against the restaurant for more than 45 minutes. Neighborhood Liaison Danielle Valle Fitzgerald and Diane Grant—president of the Charlestown Chamber of Commerce but speaking for herself—asked the licensing board to defer the hearing to another date citing insufficient notification of the hearing’s time and date.

Likely denying that request, the three-member board is slated to make its decision Thursday.