🍱 Allston's food hall

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Plus: 📺 Caption scofflaws | Friday, May 01, 2026

View in browser     Axios Boston By Mike Deehan and Steph Solis · May 01, 2026 Friday, we've arrived. Today, we look at how Boston's caption ordinance is being enforced and state funding for Jaylen Brown's charity. 🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 63 and a low of 46. 🎂 Happy birthday to Axios Boston member Libby G.! Today's newsletter is 1,087 words — a 4-minute read.     1 big thing: Boston's caption law has mixed results By Steph Solis   Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios   Boston businesses often violate the city's ordinance requiring captions on TVs, more than three years after the law's passage. And the city rarely enforces the law, according to records reviewed by Axios. Why it matters: A simple change to a business' TV settings makes spaces more inclusive for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, who make up roughly 2% of Boston's population, disability rights advocates say. Flashback: Boston passed its captions ordinance in 2022, joining cities like Portland, Oregon, and states like Maryland. Driving the news: An Axios review of 108 Boston businesses with TVs found that over half didn't have captions turned on. 40 restaurants had captions on their TVs, including six that had a mix of TVs with and without captions. Friction point: The city's Disabilities Commission, a staff of nine, looks into noncompliance complaints. The city doesn't routinely inspect businesses for compliance or impose penalties for violations, which advocates say makes it harder to enforce the law. Another caveat, advocates say, is that it exempts entertainment venues. To date, the commission has recorded seven complaints since the law took effect — most recently in July 2024, per public records. What they're saying: "It's 2026, and we're still talking about something so minor," Darian Gambrell, executive director at DEAF, Inc., noted with an interpreter in an interview. "At the end of the day, it's really about inclusive access." Both Gambrell and Wesley Ireland, who advocated for the 2022 ordinance, added that Boston should impose fines for businesses that violate the law. (Ireland is part of the commission's advisory board, but isn't commenting on behalf of any organization.) Gambrell also wants to see the licensing board, other city officials and industry groups regularly reminding business owners about the ordinance. (The Massachusetts Restaurant Association said it regularly reminds restaurants of accessibility requirements.) How it works: When Boston's Disabilities Commission gets a complaint, the staff informs the business owner of the captions ordinance, followed by reminders and training offers, said commissioner Kristen McCosh. The city's website says repeated violations could get referred to the city's licensing board, but McCosh said the city hasn't escalated any violations to that level. Yes, but: "We did a really robust outreach effort when it first passed, and I think it is time for us to revisit that," McCosh said. "We definitely need to step it back up ... which we will definitely do." Story continues below 👇     2. 📺 Outreach versus penalties   The city encourages patrons to show staffers this card to turn on captions. Photo: City of Boston   Boston offers businesses accessibility training that covers the captions ordinance, but many retailers might not know about the law if they haven't interacted closely with city officials in recent years, McCosh said. She pointed to a card that patrons can pull up on their phone or print out to give restaurant workers and ask them to turn on captions. Zoom in: Business owners say enforcement can be tricky when there's high staff turnover or technological snafus. The Greatest Bar in the West End, which got a complaint in 2023, didn't have captions on their screen when Axios visited last month. Julie O'Brien Fairweather, the owner, said in an email that the bar does turn on captions, but sometimes a TV's caption settings can reset when an employee changes the channel. Context: McCosh says outreach helps get buy-in from business owners and avoids saddling them with fines — especially as businesses face rising costs. Zoom out: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and other cities have their own laws requiring captions in movie theaters, hospitals, restaurants and other spaces. They impose fees, while other cities, like Watertown, don't. What's next: Boston is hosting a public disability community forum on Tuesday to get input on disability access and inclusion. Spread the word     3. 💰 A $700K earmark for Jaylen Brown's nonprofit By Mike Deehan   Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios   Celtics star Jaylen Brown's nonprofit could score $700,000 in taxpayer funds under earmark spending approved by the House. Why it matters: The budget allocation shows a significant appetite in the Legislature to dedicate public tax dollars to athlete-led charity work. As his sports stardom has risen, Brown has become a prominent social justice advocate in Boston. Brown's 7uice Foundation, based in Waltham, aims to address opportunity gaps for underserved youth in Boston and Atlanta. Zoom in: According to its website, the foundation teaches entrepreneurship and financial literacy, health and wellness, leadership and activism, as well as sustainability and technology. What they're saying: "We just felt there was a good use of taxpayers' funds and a good opportunity for us to continue to invest in Black and brown communities in Massachusetts," House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz told Axios after the House vote. Michlewitz said the funding isn't about who's behind any particular nonprofit entity. The aim, Michlewitz said, was to direct taxpayer-funded earmarks toward Black and Latino communities that have not traditionally benefited from the earmark system. Between the lines: The language House Democratic leaders included in the budget is broad and calls for "bridging opportunity gaps and empowering youth in underserved communities through education and innovation." Brown's foundation would have wide latitude on how to spend the tax dollars. Go deeper     A message from Axios A membership that helps Boston thrive     Did you know you can become an Axios Boston member starting at $25 a year? The impact: Members support the local reporting team that gets local readers like you smarter, faster on the news unfolding in your backyard. Become an Axios Boston member.     4. 🔙 BTMU: Boston's playoff runs   Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios   🏀 The Celtics lost Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, 106-93, and will head to Game 7. (NBCBoston) 🏒 The Fleet won Game 1 of their playoff series against the Ottawa Charge, 2-1. (Globe) Market Basket's board of directors appointed longtime manager Chuck Casassa as president. (Globe) Casassa, who started as a store bagger 43 years ago, steps into the role long held by Arthur T. Demoulas before his suspension and firing.   Advertise with Axios Local Get your brand in front of 1.5 million smart professionals. Learn more.   5. 🍽️ Restaurant roundup: New food hall   Fluffy Fluffy operates in Canada, the UK and the U.S. Photo: Steph Solis/Axios   🍱 Novo Marketplace opens today in Allston with at least a dozen vendors selling Asian cuisine seven days a week. The vendors will sell food from China, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, India and other countries, including Toronto-based Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Cafe. (Here's a first look at Novo ahead of its opening.) ICYMI: The team behind Yvonne's downtown recently opened The Zebra Room, a 10-table steakhouse beneath its sister restaurant.     6. ⁉️ News Quiz   Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios   Ready to test your knowledge of the week's news? Click here to take our quiz and tell us how you did! Send a screenshot of your perfect score to bosto...@axios.com this morning for the glory of a shoutout next week!     A MESSAGE FROM AXIOS Become an Axios Boston member and receive exclusive content     Axios Boston gets local readers like you smarter, faster on the news unfolding in your backyard. Support your local reporting team by becoming a member. Plus plus plus: you'll receive exclusive messages and more. Become an Axios Boston member.   Deehan is consistently thrilled to see outdoor seating pop up every time he encounters it. Steph missed the opportunity to revive this old meme. This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner. Want to help Axios grow? Become a member. Support your local newsroom and gain access to exclusive insights from reporters, event invitations and more!   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Advertise with us. Axios, PO Box 101060, Arlington VA 22201     Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: