The neighborhood might soon have an exotic new dining option, following the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) Zoning and Licensing Committee’s decision Wednesday not to oppose plans to open an authentic Mongolian restaurant at the former home of The Spotted Apron on Cambridge Street.
The proposed Little Lamb Hot Pot at 326 Cambridge St. would offer seating for 59 patrons, allowing them to personally cook fresh meat and other ingredients at their tables. The restaurant wouldn’t initially seek alcohol or takeout licenses from the city, and its daily hours of operation would be 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a closing time of midnight on Friday and Saturday, said the applicant’s attorney, Meihuei Hi.
The applicant currently operates Mongolian restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE); Tokyo, Japan; and Baotu, Mongolia. The Beacon Hill location would be its first in the U.S., with five additional stores soon slated to open in other parts of New England, as well as California and Seattle, Wash.
Hi said the applicant has a Sept. 12 hearing with the City to vet its request for a common victualler (CV) license, and would likely meet with the city’s Board of Appeals regarding its application for a new conditional-use permit for the restaurant in approximately four months.
The applicant has also agreed to enter into a “good neighbor” agreement with the Civic Association, regarding trash management and other aspects of the proposed operation.
Meanwhile, the Zoning and Licensing Committee voted not to oppose the relief necessary to complete the ongoing conversion of a three-family dwelling at 12 Louisburg Square into a single-family home.
The committee tabled the request for non-opposition in June and again in July after the homeowner failed to reach an agreement with neighbors on the project. The homeowner subsequently came to a consensus with the direct abutters on both sides of the building and has delivered a signed agreement to the Civic Association, however, said committee co-chair Tom Clemens.
The Zoning Board of Appeals also approved all variances necessary to complete the project on Aug. 21.