City Again Warns Tommy’s on Violations

The Cambridge license commission has offically warned Tommy’s House of Pizza that it could face suspension or revocation of its license if it is found open past its city-mandated 2 a.m. closing time one more time.

The written warning was issued after a Sept. 3 commission hearing held to consider complaints against the restaurant.

Two neighbors spoke out against Tommy’s at the hearing—Norman Hurst, owner of the Hurst Gallery on Mt. Auburn St., and Genevieve McMillan, who successfully lobbied to change Tommy’s hours from 3 a.m. to 2 a.m. in February 2001.

No one except for Tommy’s owner Gurcharan S. Gill spoke in defense of the pizzeria.

At the hearing, the neighbors also complained that Tommy’s left its garbage out on the street.

Gill already had been warned orally by the commission twice, when the commission’s inspector found the restaurant open past its mandated closing time this summer.

Richard Scali, the Cambridge license commission’s executive officer, said the commission gave Gill one last chance because it “believes in progressive discipline.”

“I think they’ve been sufficiently warned now, though,” he added.

If found guilty of another violation, Tommy’s most likely faces a midnight closing time, Scali said, but the commission would also consider licence suspension or revocation.

Gill said he is taking the notice seriously.

“Now the stoves are off at 1:30, we’re closing five minutes early, and we’ve made it very strict. I’ve said that I will fire any employee who sells a slice after 2 a.m.,” he said.

Gill said the commission told him he will be under close scrutiny until January.

Several Harvard students expressed concern about the pizzeria’s fate, citing its importance as one of the few late-night food options available.

“You need some place that’s close, where you can get a pizza late at night and where you can see everyone—every college needs one,” said Julia C. Reischel ’04.

Shanon T. Peter ’05 said Tommy’s is irreplaceable.

“I’d be really annoyed if it closed. It’s the one reliable source that you can always go to after a party,” he said.

Before the restaurant was bought by Mian Iftikhar in February 2001, Tommy’s closed at 3 a.m. The commission changed closing time to 2 a.m. that same month at the demand of neighbors who complained of the noise.

Iftikhar eventually sold Tommy’s to Gill last March, saying that the earlier closing time made it impossible for him to make a profit.

Gill has said that he had been planning to petition the commission to extend the hours again. But he said recently that he is no longer sure he will feel able to appeal in the near future.

—Staff Writer Eugenia B. Schraa can be reached at schraa@fas.harvard.edu