The coronavirus is changing the landscape of Boston’s restaurant industry. Earlier in the pandemic Massachusetts Restaurant Association predicted that about 3,600 of Massachusetts’ 16,000 restaurants will not survive, based on reports from the state’s two major food suppliers.
Currently we’ve seen close to 40 closures in our downtown area. Interestingly, most of these seem to be well-known spots, household names that tend to be mentioned often in the media or in the “best-of” lists offering a higher-end dining experience. Most didn’t have much space to open an outdoor dining alternative or were unable to convert to online ordering seamlessly. Smaller, local shops seem to be making the necessary adjustment and continue the fight to keep their doors open.
Here’s the summer update for notable restaurants that have shut down in Boston due to the economic impacts of covid-19.
The summer that the Boylston bar strip fell. This historic strip in the Prudential sub-neighborhood closed after the initial shutdown in mid-March and never reopened.
It started with Whiskey’s closing their doors at 885 Boylston Street. In mid-July, the Boylston Street bar and grill called it quits after more than 35 years, Then McGreevy’s followed suit on August 21. Followed by Pour House (907 Boylston Street), which is hoping to reopen with new owners, but for the time being, the doors are closed. Lastly Lir the 17-year-old Irish pub and sports bar permanently closed September 3 (903 Boylston Street).
Chef Youji Iwakura’s one-and-a-half-year-old Japanese restaurant Kamakura (150 State Street) making way for another new restaurant from chef Michael Serpa: Little Rose. This is the same owner behind Select Oyster Bar and Grand Tour in Back Bay and the soon-to-open Atlántico in the South End.
The French bistro Les Zygomates (129 South St.) is now closed.
Japanese restaurant and sushi bar Sakurabana (57 Broad St.) is closed after 36 years in business.
Faced with the double hit of the pandemic and an April water main break that caused an estimated $1 million in damages, Italian restaurant Cinquecento (500 Harrison Ave.) is now permanently closed.
Black Jack Pasta Kitchen at 1401 Washington Street in the South End of Boston has shut down for good.
The Seaport District has lost one of its two Legal Sea Foods locations: The Legal Harborside remains open, but the older Legal Test Kitchen (225 Northern Avenue) closed. Legal Test Kitchen had been open for 15 years.
Curious about even more closings in the Boston area? Check out Hidden Boston for a full list.