Revere Commission approves choice for restaurateur

The historic Revere copper rolling mill (left) will be the future home of a theme restaurant. (Jay Turner photo)

In what is perhaps the clearest sign to date of tangible progress at the Paul Revere Heritage Site, members of the Revere Heritage Commission have finalized their selection of a restaurant operator and are ready to make a formal recommendation to the Board of Selectmen.

Meeting on August 20 at Canton Town Hall, the commission voted unanimously and enthusiastically in support of a 10-year lease agreement with Northern Spy LLC — owners of Loyal Nine, an award-winning East Cambridge restaurant known for its Colonial era-inspired dishes and ambiance. The new Canton eatery would be housed on the main floor of the renovated copper mill building and would dovetail thematically with the proposed museum/cultural complex that is also planned for the site.

“This is very exciting; things are starting to happen now,” said Commission Chairman Victor Del Vecchio following the vote to approve the Northern Spy proposal. “For those of you at home who have wondered, ‘What have [the commissioners] been doing for three years?’ Here we go, so stay tuned.”

While stressing that the final approval rests with the BOS and is subject to review by town counsel, Del Vecchio said the subcommittee tasked with overseeing the restaurant RFP process had several productive meetings with the restaurant owners and made sure to do their due diligence, even making a trip to Cambridge to sample the fare at Loyal Nine.

Named after the nine Boston patriots who met in secret to organize protests against the Stamp Act, Loyal Nine offers up a modern take on colonial cuisine and has garnered impressive reviews along with a long list of culinary awards. Bon Appetit described its food as “beautiful and satisfying,” while the Boston Globe, in a recent article lamenting the lack of national recognition for Boston area restaurants, said it “feels very modern and like a history lesson at the same time.”

“Restaurants tend to fail around the four-year mark,” said Del Vecchio, “but they are just past the four-year mark and they seem to be doing well, which is why they want to expand to Canton.”

In terms of the specifics of the lease agreement, Del Vecchio said Northern Spy has proposed a 4,300-square-foot restaurant on the first floor of the mill with 130 permanent seats, including a 36-seat bar and lounge, as well as 80 seasonal (outdoor) seats. On the second floor, the restaurant would utilize 900 square feet for administrative space and share an additional 1,600 square feet of event space with the town …

See this week’s Citizen to read the full version of this story, including more highlights from the Aug. 20 Revere Heritage Commission meeting. Subscribe today at www.thecantoncitizen.com/subscribe.

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