Crust & Co. opened last week at the site of the former Hillers Pizza. PHOTO/JERRY SPAR
At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Elaine Lazarus acknowledged that Crust & Co., the pizza shop located in the former home of Hillers Pizza, opened without a building inspection being performed. The common victualer (CV) license was approved 4-1 at the last meeting on Sept. 9, with the caveat that all required inspections be completed before the restaurant’s opening. Matt Kizner was the lone opponent.
Lazarus said Crust & Co., which opened its doors Sept. 17, was open for “at least a day” before she learned of the situation. Once she knew, she immediately called the owner to tell him to close. The inspection was performed “by 11 o’clock that morning,” allowing Crust & Co. to reopen.
Residents spoke about this situation and on enforcement of CV renewal requirements during the public comment period. They pointed out that Crust & Co. opened without the license conditions being met, while Hillers Pizza had received CV license renewals without a deeper probe into the record of its owner, Petros “Peter” Sismanis.
Sismanis was convicted in June on charges of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 years of age and two counts of witness intimidation. The sentencing sparked protesters to hold signs in front of the restaurant and oppose the transfer of its common victualer license to his wife, Eleni. Hillers Pizza closed abruptly as of Sept. 1 while restaurateur Ryan Dion arranged to buy it.
The board could hold a hearing on Crust & Co’s CV license, Lazarus said. It could issue fines, suspend the license or revoke it.
Asked for his feedback on the matter, Kizner said, “I was the one on the other side of this. I’m happy to sit here and explain why I was right.”
He added that he was “tut-tutted” by other members for his stance at the previous meeting.
“I don’t see that the board did anything wrong,” said chair Joe Clark, noting that the Select Board does not check for building inspection signatures.
Clark added that he will “continue to support conditional approvals” to help businesses open in Hopkinton. He said the town “has a reputation” of being “non-friendly” to new businesses.
Clark, Amy Ritterbusch and Shahidul Mannan said they would approve of a hearing to discuss a potential fine. Brian Herr disagreed, saying the owner quickly corrected the mistake. Kizner said he was “uncomfortable.”
Hitlers pizza?
Matt Kizner was the ONLY SB member who chose to put the safety and well being of his constituents above the ease of a business owner. Did we learn nothing from prior mistakes at 77 W Main Street.
I want everyone to know Hiller’s Pizza owner, and local rapist and sexual assaulter NEVER HAD A BACKGROUND CHECK DONE ON HIM. 20 years on the sex offender list and not one person in this town took the time to look into him? In 2024 they were opened illegally for 2 months. Their license had expired 12/31/23. 2 months later at a SB meeting Mary Jo approves their license never mentioning the name of the business nor the fact that they were 2 months late. Then KNOWING he was up on more charges in 2023 they quietly approved him. This is a broken system. This needs to change today. I hope they vote for the public hearing at the next SB meeting.