Despite Opposition, Dedham Board Reluctantly Grants Hooters Liquor License

DEDHAM (CBS) -- Selectmen approved a liquor license transfer on Tuesday that will allow Hooters to move near Legacy Place, but selectman Dennis Teehan said it was against the board's will.

Selectmen initially denied a request to transfer the former Summer Shack's liquor license to Hooters in April, but the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission overturned that decision according to the Dedham Patch. Teehan said challenging the state's decision would likely be a losing battle, so the board approved the license and Hooters is set to settle into its new Route 1 home.

Teehan said town residents and officials rallied against Hooters.

"I know that Hooters tries very hard to suggest that they're a family restaurant, but I don't think that it necessarily fits the bill," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kendall Buhl.

Ultimately, Teehan said he's disappointed.

"To have a town and a town's people really line up en masse against something and at the end of the day, unfortunately, not have much recourse," he said. "I certainly felt strongly that this was not in the interest of the town, and unfortunately we were left in a situation where we were more or less without options."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kendall Buhl reports