License Commission
Councilor Kelley's support for Tory Row
Dear License Commission Members:
I write in support of Tory Row's efforts to maintain its position as a licensed establishment in Harvard Square. I have visited their three other establishments and have found them to be uniformly well run and popular, exactly the sort of places that make Cambridge an exciting place to work, live and dine. I see no reason why Tory Row will not follow in the path of its successful brethren.
I also hope that the License Commission will be supportive of Tory Row because, in these difficult economic times, I feel it important to try as hard as possible to help local businesses be successful. With hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in the local economy to fix up a dilapidated restaurant and turn it into a wide-windowed jewel overlooking the heart of Harvard Square, the owners of Tory Row are the sort of local entrepreneurs we want to encourage. The roughly 30 jobs they'll bring into the local economy on an ongoing basis as cooks, waiters, waitresses and bartenders are equally important in this challenging fiscal time, jobs that will help pump more money back into our City. Furthermore, with the abrupt closure of Z Square, Crate & Barrel's closing and storefronts shuttered up and down Mass Ave, the vibrancy of a popular Tory Row could help anchor some of our struggling businesses in the Square and beyond.
I understand that it is important that the License Commission hold all Cambridge establishments to a high standard of responsibility. While Tory Row has had at least its share of bumps in its efforts to open, including severe construction delays due to the pre-existing condition of the space, I feel that the owners' track record at their other establishments indicate that, once open, Tory Row will be the sort of restaurant that makes Harvard Square a destination for thousands of people from the next block over to the other side of the globe.
I hope that you will view Tory Row's position in the same supportive light that I do.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you might have about this communication.