Some Favorite Massachusetts Restaurants Closed For Good In 2020
MASSACHUSETTS —The state's restaurants have tried everything to stay afloat this year,pivoting to take-out and delivery models in March when the coronavirus pandemic forced a statewide shutdown, then reopening with new cleaning protocols, outdoor seating areas crammed onto sidewalks and parking spots and a trickle of customers willing to risk a meal in public to feel normal again.
Despite their best efforts, more than 4,000, or 22 percent, of the state's restaurants closed permanently in 2020, according to the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. Despite the rollout of a vaccine and state and federal relief programs, there just weren't enough customers to support the once-vibrant Massachusetts restaurant industry.
Below, we remember some of the more notable Massachusetts restaurant closures in 2020. In an industry where 60 percent of businesses close within their first year and 80 percent don't make it past the fifth year, these restaurants served their communities for decades.
And then the coronavirus pandemic happened.
While locations in Quincy and Norwell remained open, it was the original location across from TD Garden that made the restaurant famous. It was the place to catch a drink and a bite before or after a game. It was also the place where you might see Larry Bird and other local legends eating a late night, post-game meal.
When it opened in 2009, the Friendly Toast in Cambridge was the first store beyond its original, Portsmouth, NH location. It has since grown to six locations in three states. But the Cambridge location, located in the heart of office-dense Kendall square, was the only one unable to reopen once business restrictions were eased in May.
99, Braintree and West Concord locations
Chain restaurants, which usually have wider operating margins than sole proprietor restaurants, were not immune from the coronavirus slows down. When it closed locations in Braintree and West Concord last month, the 99 warned that more closures would follow.
The family-owned restaurant opened 67 years ago and ownership spanned three generations. While the restaurant did well with takeout and delivery orders, the dining room never recovered when the owners had to take out the buffet upon reopening. Earlier this month, the family decided selling — instead of pushing forward — was the better business decision.
More barbecue restaurants have been popping up in New England in recent years, but Bison County was one of the first in the area when it opened in 1995. Owner Adam Rubin was actually looking to expand to a new location before the pandemic hit. "Who could predict this?" he said in August. "How could any of us prepare?"
Did your favorite restaurant close in 2020? Tells us about it in the comments of this story, or share some of your favorite memories from the restaurants included in this article.
Since first opening in Brockton in 1947, Cape Cod Cafe has grown to five location (none of which, incidentally, are actually on Cape Cod). One of those locations closed permanently in October, dealing a blow to South Shore bar pizza lovers in Easton. In addition to the Brockton location, Cape Cod Cafe restaurants in Bridgewater, Halifax and Raynham remain open.
Anna's Taqueria started serving street tacos in Brookline's Coolidge Corner 25 years ago, before street tacos were a thing. While the local chain's other restaurants remain open, owner Betsy Kamio opted to not renew the lease on the original location when it expired in August.
Cheers, Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston
At lot of native Bostonians probably never set foot in Cheers at Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace, but it was a must-stop generation for generations of Massachusetts visitors. While the famous TV show was based on the Bull & Finch Pub on Beacon Street in the Back Bay, it was the Faneuil Hall location that had been designed to be a replica of the show's set.
UNO Pizzeria & Grill, Kenmore Square in Boston
When it opened on the first floor of the Hotel Buckminster (which also closed, thanks to the coronavirus) in 1979, it offered many Bostonians their first taste of Chicago, deep dish pizza. In the intervening years, UNO grew to a national chain. The hotel's closure in April and a shortened, fan-free baseball season at nearby Fenway Park, prompted the corporate parent to not renew the location's lease when it expired in June.
Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).
This article originally appeared on the Boston Patch
