New changes would make it easier to open restaurants in Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu says

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced new zoning reforms on Tuesday that she said will make it easier to open and run a restaurant in Boston.

Wu said the proposal will cut permitting delays, simplify ownership transfers and help restaurants open faster.

Paulette Innocent has created a space for the community of Mattapan to meet and eat, at her new restaurant Marabou Café.

"When I first dreamed about opening a full-service restaurant in Mattapan, I knew it would take more than hard work and a good recipe," Innocent said.

Wu said currently, it isn't the easiest process for new business owners to follow in Innocent's footsteps.

She's hoping to streamline the process to get customers through the doors with a few new policies.

Wu said sometimes when a restaurant transfers owners or wants to add takeout, that could trigger additional zoning reviews.

Her goal is to shorten the process for permits and licenses from a few months down to a few weeks.

"The last thing an entrepreneur needs after all the work of raising money, finding a location, picking a perfect menu, building the ambiance, is to get tripped up by permitting," Wu said.

The reforms won't happen overnight.

The mayor said some of the proposals have a few steps before approval, and didn't mention any new changes to liquor licensing.

Stephen Clark is the President of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.

He said there's plenty of struggles business owners deal with, but there's optimism to keep the doors open.

"The restaurant industry is the most competitive industry in America. Not only are we competing with each other, but we're also competing with third party," Clark said. "We're competing with grocery stores, retail stores, so the restaurant industry is so competitive, but it's also so much of an opportunity."