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Faro Cafe is facing disciplinary action from the Cambridge Licensing Committee for allegedly operating over their licensed capacity and providing entertainment without a license.
Faro, located on the corner of Arrow Street, is a coffee shop that hosts open mic nights and DJ sets open to the public. At a Monday disciplinary hearing, a city inspector said he visited the venue in October following a noise complaint and found that the space contained 48 people, double its capacity of 24, and that staff were unaware of the limit.
Cafe owner Henry F. Hoffstot insisted that the cafe would adhere to licensing regulations going forward and designate a staff member to oversee headcount.
The promises weren’t enough for the Licensing Committee.
“It’s concerning to me that you’re operating at double your capacity,” Nicole Murati Ferrer, chair of the Licensing Committee, said. “I mean, that’s insane.”
“I don’t understand how you as owner were also confused as to what your capacity was,” she added. “These are life safety issues.”
The committee did not decide on consequences for the cafe. The decision remains “under a matter of advisement,” according to Cambridge city spokesperson Jeremy Warnick.
Some students who frequent events held at Faro said they were unconcerned about the venue becoming overcrowded.
“One thing I can say for certain — it never felt unsafe,” said Sam E. Weil ’25, a Crimson Magazine editor.
Eden A. Getahun ’25, who also goes to events at the cafe, agreed.
“It’s definitely packed, but I wouldn’t ever say that I felt endangered,” she said. “They’ll make it work — people stand outside and listen when there’s actual events, they do pay attention to capacity once it gets to a certain level.”
Weil added that she enjoys Faro’s alternative to the “anxious, frenetic Harvard party culture bubble.”
“Faro is serving a real desire in Cambridge for the kind of people who care about music culture and dance culture and about convening in those shared interests, without the sense of exclusivity,” she said.
“And the fact that 48 people show up is a testament to the lack of alternative spaces, the lack of third spaces, for people to come together,” she added.
— Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.
—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.
