North Attleborough Board of Health Approves VJ's Brewhouse Permit for February Opening

NORTH ATTLEBORO -- January 14, 2020, North Attleborough Board of Health approves new VJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse permit and signals tougher tobacco enforcement. The board voted unanimously at its January 14 meeting to grant a food service, frozen dessert, and catering permit to VJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse at 1174 South Washington Street, contingent on passage of pre-operational and final health inspections, with a public opening targeted for February 24. The board also granted a 90-day extension to landlord James McMahon on two cosmetic correction order items at 84 Division Street, conditioned on his not re-renting the unit until a final inspection is passed. Monkey Joe's Play Place owner Pamela Franciscus was called before the board over a four-year pattern of late license renewals and warned that future non-compliance would result in an immediate halt to food service. In its sharpest exchange of the evening, board members pushed for aggressive use of local tobacco fines, up to $1,000 per incident under state regulations effective December 11, 2019, against retailers still selling restricted Juul products, with non-compliant retailers expected to appear at the January 28 meeting.