Felipe’s May Stay Up All Night

The owners of Felipe’s Taqueria are seeking to extend the restaurant’s operating hours until 4 a.m. on weekends in response to growing student demand.

The popular Square restaurant is slated to appear before the Cambridge License Commission (CLC) on Nov. 29 to request keeping its doors open until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on weekends.

But amidst reported violations of its present license—which allows Felipe’s to stay open until midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends—the restaurant faces disciplinary action, which could include further restrictions on its hours of operation.

“We’re under fire for selling burritos or food after hours,” said Thomas J. Brush, the restaurant’s co-owner. “We were caught selling a burrito outside of our door at 2:15 a.m. We had somebody begging us, and we were caught by one of the license inspectors.”

According to Elizabeth Y. Lint, executive officer for the CLC, the license violations could prevent Felipe’s from receiving its extended hours.

“It is my opinion that it is difficult for the Commission to grant the request to extend their hours when they’re not even complying with their license regulations as they are now,” she said. “It would be like rewarding them for misconduct.”

Brush said the effort is being opposed by the eatery’s landlord John DiGiovanni.

“The landlord is opposing,” Brush said. “He’s not opposed to our being open [late] in the future, but right now, he feels there are some issues with our staying open late that need to be resolved.”

According to Brush, however, the language in the lease agreement does not restrict the restaurant from increasing its hours.

A petition drafted by Felipe’s management last summer drew signatures from 2,600 customers in favor of extended hours.

The owners then turned to the UC for support early this fall.

“I presented a letter that was signed by the Undergraduate Council,” said Jeffrey Kwong ’09, the UC’s city of Cambridge liaison, who attended a CLC meeting last Thursday. “I presented Harvard concerns at the meeting. My main point was that you have over 5,000 students in the five-block radius living around Felipe’s. Felipe’s meets a need of the community—it’s alcohol-free, it’s safe.”

Kwong, who is helping Felipe’s rally support from the student body, also said that the restaurant’s license violations are not recurring.

“My perception of it is that when students get there after two, the doors are closed and they’re disappointed,” he said. “I made it clear that [the violations] are not a persistent thing.”

Some students, however, said that they would not take advantage of increased Felipe’s hours.

“It would be a nice option,” said Sameer Lakha ’09, “one that I would hopefully not need to use.”

Nonetheless, Brush believes that there is enough consumer demand to warrant the changes.

“We do feel there is very broad support and a need for Felipe’s to be open,” he said. “It’s difficult to staff and run a business at those late hours. But, we feel it’s worthwhile and we’re certainly willing to make the commitment to maintain those hours if given permission.”

The opening of the diner Flat Patties, the newest venture from the owners of Felipe’s, is scheduled for later this month.

“Whether we get the license or not,” Brush said, “we’re going to have a good business here either way.”