It is not Spring in South Boston until Sullivan’s opens. Lapping the Sugar Bowl, braving the Sullivan’s line, and enjoying their famous hotdogs and crinkle-cut fries has become something of a pilgrimage for families across the city.

At their annual March opening, three generations of the Sullivan family were joined by two generations of Mayor Michelle Wu’s to celebrate the restaurant’s recent winning of the “America’s Classics” award.

The award is given yearly by the James Beard Foundation to locally-owned restaurants across the country for their quality food and the character they bring to the community they serve.

In honor of Sullivan’s national recognition, Wu presented a formal proclamation that March 1, 2025, would be Sullivan’s Day for their 70 years of “providing quality food and service for visitors of the historic Fort Independence, and fostering a legacy of community and joy in Southie.”

Wu called a trip to Sullivan’s a tradition for her family. “We weren’t gonna miss this day to make sure that baby got her first Boston spring and opening day here at Sullivan’s as well,” she said.

The mayor was proud to see a Boston institution receive the acclaim it deserves. “We knew the whole time that this was one of the most special places on the entire planet,” she said. “You see the lines, you see people, whatever the temperature, whatever the day of the week, it’s home for so many.”

Brendan Sullivan was excited to have the mayor’s family in attendance but noted that Sullivan’s history of welcoming mayors, congressmen, and celebrities was not what the restaurant was about.

“We’re about the community,” he said. “Every customer that walks through is sort of a special person in our hearts.”

And a community there was, with the establishment’s iconic line stretching around the parking lot.

Sullivan additionally called his family’s award an award for the whole city, and for all the families that make a trip to Castle Island a tradition of their own.

As Boston prepares for the mayoral election in November, the significance of Wu’s presence in the Southie should not go unnoticed.

Wu only won a single precinct of Southie’s Ward 6 in the 2021 mayoral race, with opponent Anissa Essabi-George winning in all others. Going into her 2025 reelection bid, Wu hopes her good work will be enough for the neighborhood to reconsider.

“I believe that the best way you can do well in politics or elections is just to do a good job,” she said. “That means keeping our schools running, keeping the trash picked up, the street lights going, and making sure that we’re doing everything we can for Boston to be a home for families.”

Sullivan’s will stay open through their usual season, ending around Thanksgiving, 7 days a week