The latest on the future of outdoor dining in the North End

A number of North End restaurant owners are upset over Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to make them pay $7,500 if they want to continue with an outdoor dining program that began during the early days of the pandemic to help them out. Some owners say the fee is too high. Others call it discriminatory and are threatening legal action against the mayor.

This week, Mayor Wu offered what sounded like a compromise: restaurants can pay the $7,500 fee in installments, or they can pay a reduced fee if they opt for outdoor patios for only a part of the season. Wu also said the city would also offer hardship waivers for qualifying establishments.

We talk about the fee and the future of outdoor dining in the North End with Philip Frattaroli, managing partner and CEO of Filmark Hospitality which manages Lucia's Ristorante and Ducali Pizzeria in the North End, Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, who represents District 1 that includes the North End, and Paul Scapicchio, lifelong resident of the North End, and the former City Councilor for District 1 from 1997 to 2006.