Bellingham Select Board Approves Famous House of Pizza License Transfer to New Owners

BELLINGHAM — November 24, 2025 — Bellingham Select Board approves Famous House of Pizza license transfer and sets FY2026 tax factor with no shift. The board voted unanimously Monday to transfer the restaurant's beer and wine license to Gemma Inc., owned by brothers Ramon and John Vakori, who plan to keep the 40 North Main Street restaurant operating under the same name; attorney Jackson Christian of Democus Law Offices in Lynn represented the applicants. On the tax side, the board accepted a residential factor of 1.0 for fiscal year 2026 — meaning no burden shift between residential and commercial classes — after assessors reported new growth dropped to $829,500 this year, down sharply from nearly $2 million in FY2025. A public hearing on the final tax rate was continued to December 1 pending state certification. The board also tabled a $3,000 water penalty abatement request from a resident at 2302 Old Bridge Lane, directing the parties to meet before the December 15 meeting, while approving routine abatements totaling more than $17,800 across four months.