West Roxbury Fast Food Restaurants Open Past Legal Hours

Two local food franchisees came before the West Roxbury Neighborhood Council on Tuesday. McDonalds proposed to extend their operating hours, while unknowingly exposing an alleged malpractice within the neighboring area businesses. Separately, Subway restaurant talked about opening on Centre Street in the coming months.

, located on 1650 VFW Parkway, sought to extend their operating hours by requesting to open one hour earlier and closing an hour later. Owner Bob King shared his desire to remodel the establishment, as well as to be up to par with the neighboring businesses.

“We’d like to recoup some of the expenses for remodeling by extending our hours and have parity with the like businesses that surround us,” said King.

Presently, McDonald’s is open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Prior to the meeting, King reached out personally to and for confirmation on their operating hours. It was through King’s process of applying for a license that the city was unintentionally informed about Dunkin' Donuts and Burger King allegedly operating outside the city's allowed business hours.

According to Area E-5 Sgt. Ken Jameson, Dunkin' Donuts has been opening at 5 a.m. instead of its allowed 6 a.m. time. He said Burger King has allegedly been opening at 5 a.m., as well and closing at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays.

Chris Tracy of the Mayor's Neighborhood Services Department clarified the allowed hours for the following area businesses:

Burger King 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

10 a.m. – 1 a.m. 

Dunkin' Donuts 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. 

The Boston Licensing Board has made it known to Boston authorities and these businesses are presently being investigated.

Abutters were residents of West Roxbury’s New Haven Street neighborhood and they shared one concern - the noise. Changing McDonald's hours would only increase an annoyance residents already barely tolerate.

Elias Audy of West Roxbury lives in the neighborhood behind Burger King. As a fellow franchisee of two Exxon Mobil stations, he understood the concerns and needs of King as a fellow business owner. However, his experience as a resident was of greater concern.

“Sometimes, the noise is just too much,” said Audy. “We’re ‘forbidden’ to open our windows if we want any type of peace.”

Lorraine McLaughlin of West Roxbury lives directly behind McDonald's. She described the noise as intolerable.

“The noise is unbearable with trash pick-ups and screeching tire wheels from speeding cars during the day and middle of the night,” said McLaughlin. “I’ve also had to notify the police on several occasions.

is next door to McDonald's on the VFW Parkway. expressed his understanding of the residents’ concerns. However, he didn’t see much harm or inconvenience in McDonald’s proposal to adjust their operating hours.

“Opening earlier will change very little, or anything at all, of what already exists” said Korngold. 

As to comply with the city’s allowed hours, the Council members were all in favor of not recommending the extension of McDonald’s operating hours.

Also at the meeting was Paul Gibbs, spokesperson for Subway franchise owner Jigar Patel. He announced plans for a new Subway restaurant at the corner of Corey and Centre streets, across from the . Read more about it here.