Feeling lucky, Upper Falls?

Paul Virgilio’s family has owned the Echo Bridge Restaurant at the corner of Chestnut and Eliot streets in Upper Falls for more than 60 years.

“One thing we’ve been taught is to give the customers what they want,” he said to the City Council’s Land Use Committee Tuesday night. “And our number one ask has been Keno.”

The committee vote was six in favor, two against. The special permit now heads to the full City Council for a vote.

Newton allows Keno with restrictions. No one under the age of 18 may play Keno, and restaurants are only allowed to have up to two Keno monitors. The Echo Bridge Restaurant proposal would satisfy those local requirements.

The special permit for the Echo Bridge Restaurant does not impact the lot’s BU-1 (business district) zoning.

Brothers John and Mario Virgilio opened the business in 1962 and eventually passed it down to John’s kids. Paul Virgilio represents the third generation of family ownership of the restaurant.

Jack Neville, who serves on the Upper Falls Area Council, was at the meeting and recalled neighbors bringing their kids there when he moved into the village six decades ago. The restaurant has remained a vital part of the Upper Falls community since.

“When I moved up here in ’65, the only place you could bring your family, because there was nothing in Upper Falls but two bars—hardcore bars—and Virgilio’s was always a family affair. If you had young kids, it was always a family atmosphere.”

The other speakers, as well as a few of the committee members, also voiced support for the new Keno venture at Echo Bridge.

“I’m really happy I can have coffee at Bettina’s, lunch at Dunn-Gaherin’s and, after these interminable meetings, have a nightcap and play Keno,” Councilor Stephen Farrell mused before voting to approve the permit for Keno.

Charles River Chamber President Greg Reibman submitted a letter to the committee supporting the Keno permit to help bring more money to the Echo Bridge Restaurant and Upper Falls.

“Like many small, independently owned restaurants, they continue to face persistent challenges post-pandemic,” Reibman’s letter reads in part. “While inflation and workforce shortages persist, tariffs and broader economic uncertainty have exacerbated their situations. In response, some restaurants are turning to creative solutions to remain viable and stabilize their revenue.”

Risky business?

Councilor Andreae Downs, however, voted against the permit out of concern for how much money people would spend on gambling, which is why the City Council often denies Keno permits.

“My suspicion is people would come and pay Keno and not do a whole lot of buying of food and beverages,” she said, reminding the room that the City Council has tended to deny Keno permits in the past. “If you want to put in a pool table or some other games that don’t involve losing money, I would support that. But I can’t support Keno.”

Councilor Bill Humphrey echoed Downs’s concern and said he believes Keno would have an “adverse effect” on the community. He and Councilor Rena Getz spoke against the plan to the licensing commission.

“And it’s a particularly pernicious form of gambling because it’s something that cycles every three minutes, so people can bet again,” Humphrey said. “We’re having a lot of social problems right now around sports betting apps that have a very similar issue.”

Humphrey acknowledged that the social ills that come with gambling won’t be remedied by one city’s legislative body but said he didn’t want to add to those ills.

“I think elected officials have really fallen short, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in particular, on dealing with gambling and gambling addiction issues.”