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 our list of notable restaurants that have shut down in Boston due to the economic impacts of covid-19.
Daniel Boulud closed his only Boston restaurant in the Prudential sub-neighborhood, Bar Boulud (776 Boylston Street) on June 17.
The 25-year-old Beacon Hill location of Italian restaurant Artu (89 Charles Street) officially closed in the Flat of the Hill on May 30.
Fenway-Kenmore
Bar Louie (121 Brookline Avenue) is now closed.
Conor Larkin’s Grill & Tap (329 Huntington Avenue) first opened back in 2002, but has closed its doors permanently.
Fenmore Grill (645 Beacon Street) is now closed.
Uno Pizzeria and Grill (645 Beacon Street) closed its last location within the Boston city limits, as the location in the Back Bay shuttered last fall.
Battery Park (33 Batterymarch Street) in the Financial District is now closed.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse (217 Stuart Street) in the Theater District has permanently closed its doors.
Sakurabana (57 Broad Street), a decades-old Japanese restaurant in downtown Boston’s Financial District has shut down permanently.
The French bistro, Les Zygomates (129 South Street) which first opened in 1994, has now closed for good.
Coda Bar & Kitchen (329 Columbus Avenue) closed in Golden Triangle after 13 years. The two sister restaurants owned by this group, SRV (Claremont, South End) and Salty Pig (Copley, Back Bay) still remain in operation.
Washington Street icon Stella Restaurant and Bar (1525 Washington Street) closed in Franklin and Blackstone Square on May 15, after 15 years in operation.
On Tuesday April 14, 2020, Cinquecento (500 Harrison Avenue) was devastated by a water main break on Harrison Avenue and closed permanently.
Curious about even more closings in the Boston area? Check out Hidden Boston for a full list.