El Torito Restaurant and Norwood Selectmen

On July 11, 1984, Attorney Mark Fitzsimmons of Weymouth appeared before the Norwood Board of Selectmen representing the El Torito restaurant on Route 1, requesting a fresh start in the relationship between the establishment and town leadership.

Acknowledging past tensions, Fitzsimmons pledged the restaurant’s full cooperation in addressing community concerns. However, Selectmen Chairman Walter J. Dempsey remained skeptical, noting that police reports concerning the restaurant arrive “practically every week” and pointedly warned the attorney, “We don’t stand for nonsense in booze places. Understand?”

The meeting centered on security and regulatory issues. Selectman William F. Butters specifically highlighted incidents involving cocaine use in the restaurant’s parking lot, urging the management to bolster its security presence. Fitzsimmons defended the restaurant’s efforts, asserting that the establishment spends up to $15,000 monthly on security, which includes two police officers on duty nightly. He argued that the corporation is a responsible investor that intends to be a credit to the community, though Dempsey retorted, “I don’t think you’re trying hard enough,” citing the voluminous file of police reports that have been forwarded to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC).

The discussion also addressed recent regulatory hurdles. Selectmen had been notified that the ABCC withheld approval for a change in restaurant management due to alleged tax non-compliance. Fitzsimmons clarified that the issue was merely a clerical error and that the restaurant was not in arrears on its taxes; the change has since been approved. Additionally, the restaurant faces an upcoming, though recently postponed, ABCC hearing regarding multiple alleged infractions, including serving liquor to an underage and intoxicated customer, as well as exceeding capacity limits during a May 11 surprise inspection.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger

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