License transfer to Bistro OK’d

SAUGUS – Owners of Bistro One on Route 1 North in Saugus are hoping to open their new restaurant before Christmas, after the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously this week to transfer a liquor license to them from the owners of the now defunct Lavo Ristorante.”It’s very, very important so we can get open by the holidays,” said Anthony Oliviero, co-owner of Roma Restaurant Group LLC.”It’s going to be Italian with a Mediterranean flare,” Oliviero said.”We’re doing a lot of work and the place is going to be really something to see. It’s going to be beautiful. It was worth the wait,” Oliviero said.The transfer is pending bankruptcy proceedings between PAM Inc., which owned Lavo, and two investors, who say they are owed $75,000.”Pending all that gets dismissed and resolved, all those licenses will be transferred,” said selectman Stephen Horlick. “That finally got transferred out which is good because I’d rather see the license be in the business owners’ hands because they’re going to be more responsible,” he said.The board previously voted twice to continue the hearing to allow special town counsel Ira Zeleznick time to look into bankruptcy proceedings by PAM Inc.In 2010, the board held several show cause hearings about ownership issues at Lavo before the restaurant went out of business in January.Horlick said the board has been very thorough in its decision to transfer the license because he doesn’t want to see a business have to come back for another show cause hearing.”When these businesses come up now for liquor license transfers, because of what has happened in the past ? I make sure if you list any other businesses in there or any references that they check out,” said Horlick.”We have to check and double check to make sure these businesses are on the up and up and is the quality of business we want,” Horlick said.Oliviero also owns a pair of Italian restaurants in Wakefield and Marblehead called Cafe` Italia with his wife Donna.Horlick said he looked into their other businesses and was happy with what he saw.”I checked the one in Wakefield out twice,” said Horlick. “I went for lunch and I went for dinner and everything was fine.I like to trust people, but because of all those issues in the past, we really can’t give that trust out because we’ve been burnt a few times in the past,” Horlick said.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @MattTempesta.