Redd’s in Rozzie to Close Next Month

Redd’s in Rozzie (4257 Washington St., Boston), a staple of Roslindale dining since it opened in 2011, will close down next month in the face of proposed changes for the City of Boston’s liquor license system, owner Charlie Redd announced on Monday.

“I don’t want to close this popular, profitable, special little neighborhood restaurant, but the City of Boston is not giving me another option,” he wrote.

Redd addressed an initiative from city council members to bring around 150 new, non-transferable liquor licenses to the city, stating that the changes would devalue his own liquor license.

“This initiative is popular politics meant to drum up image for the individual city councillors’ next political ambition, not change neighborhood licensing in a healthy manner,” he said. “The license has been sold and will be moved out of Roslindale.”

When the initiative was announced in March of 2017, Mayor Marty Walsh touted it as a growth opportunity for small businesses.

“This balanced approach to licensing ensures neighborhoods historically disadvantaged by the liquor license process will receive their fair share of licenses,” he said.

More recently, Councilor-at-Large Ayanna Pressley petitioned to restrict the 153 licenses by neighborhood, while adding “umbrella licenses” to the mix, allowing several operators to fall under one license, as at Logan Airport. Under this initiative, the non-transferable licenses would get returned to the city in the event of a restaurant closure, rather than getting sold on the open market. Such transferrable licenses are commonly valued at $350,000.

Over the course of its seven years, Redd’s in Rozzie has regularly hosted events, including movie nights on its patio and bingo events.

“I am proud of what I built here and feel we are leaving Roslindale before we have achieved what we could achieve, but so be it,” Redd wrote, thanking customers, his family, and the community. “There are many fantastic restaurants here and I hope you will continue to support them as much as you have supported me.”

Redd said the restaurant would operate for another month but did not give an official closing date. Meanwhile, he appears to have a summertime pizza pop-up in the works in Somerville’s Davis Square.

• Redd’s in Rozzie Is Closing [BRT]
• Redd’s Restaurant in Roslindale Is Closing, Owner Says [BG]
• Redd’s In Rozzie Will Close in July [BM]