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Local celebrichef suddenly closes three of her restaurants

By adamg on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 12:43pm

The Boston Business Journal reports that Barbara Lynch has abruptly closed her Menton, Sportello and Drink outlets in Fort Point, blaming her landlord. Her other restaurants, all outside Fort Point, remain open.

Via Boston Restaurant Talk.

Neighborhoods: 
South Boston
Topics: 
Dining
Free tagging: 
Barbara Lynch
Fort Point


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Comments

By Friartuck on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 12:49pm.

My hubby is going to be upset I never used those 7 year old gift cards for Sportello

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Voting closed 3

By Lee on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 1:00pm.

…. refunds. Hope you get them.

This is one of the reasons gift cards are such a pain in the ass. Just give people the cash!!!

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By what what now? on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 1:22pm.

Cash? What are you, my uncle?!

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By Ari O on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 4:32pm.

A bench?

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By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 1:58pm.

Maybe they will accept them?

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By Pete X on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 1:59pm.

"Gift cards purchased for the closing Lynch restaurants will be redeemable at No. 9, B&G Oysters, or The Rudder."

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/05/business/barbara-lynch-closing-re...

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By equal_tea on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 1:28pm.

That would be sad. I really liked their style of bespoke drinks, and the bartenders were always cool.

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By Sammy White on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 6:28pm.

Been wanting to go there for years what a bummer Drink is gone, We need more craft and speakeasy places here!

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By Jiggles on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 2:11pm.

So many good people just lost their jobs. Her drinking and mental health issues have had a terrible effect on her employees.

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By Username Unknown on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 4:06pm.

Her troubles have more of a terrible effect on her than her employees.

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By Lee on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 4:59pm.

But it’s not a competition. Everyone suffers when an out of control abusive boss lets loose. Them too, when employees become less productive and start walking off the job.

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By ScottR on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 2:21pm.

It's always someone else's fault with her. Staff miserable and even dying? It's the staff's fault. The public mad that employees don't want to be physically harassed at work? It's the media's fault. Now its probably: can't pay the rent? Landlord's fault.

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By John on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 2:31pm.

I was thinking the same thing. She has caused a lot of her own trouble in the past, so it's not unlikely that she had something to do with this trouble too.

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By J.R. Dobbs on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 5:05pm.

Is already working on a lawsuit.

You KNOW she did this out of spite and didnt think it through and is going to be on the hook for $$$.

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By Heather on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 10:40pm.

She has had alot of space in the seaport/fort point since before it was fancy. I can believe the rent is going way up. She probably made a killing of late nights at sportello and drink alone if she's been paying 2009 rent all this time.

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By Former Westroxer on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 4:39pm.

...

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By adamg on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 7:33pm.

Yep, fixed.

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By anon on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 4:51pm.

Menton was quite spectacular -- expensive to be sure -- but was a rare treat that never failed to please. I actually put in for a reservation this week for my wife and I's 10th wedding anniversary and didn't hear back, but now I know why.

I wonder what will become of Fort Point going forwards. Probably a PF Changs and Starbucks or some other boring corporate shit. Whatever replaces Menton almost certainly won't have butter soup (that was a real thing and it had a lot of caviar in it and was incredible)

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By J.R. Dobbs on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 5:02pm.

You're a mess.

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By anon on Fri, 01/05/2024 - 9:29pm.

Not enough patrons to step up? What was Fieri's reason for closing? Wait. Sorry. Not a fair comparison question. My bad.

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By Daan on Sat, 01/06/2024 - 2:52pm.

It is a tragedy when a heroic chef declines in their heroism. Without celebrity chefs who is there to look up to? Astronauts who risk their lives in exploration of the unknown? They stay unknown. Journalists who risk their lives in wars? What they get for sticking their nose in dictators' and religious fanatics' business. Doctors who enter nations where just being a human being (especially a Gay human being) is a threat to the lives? Their choice. To all of them: Pshaw! Nobodies.

But chefs are out there, battling government officials who demand clean kitchens, employees who don't like being yelled at, drunk customers who declare nobody knows how important they are. Heck, chefs are battling each other for fame - Gordon Ramsey would be just another well regarded restauranteur, but not world famous, if he could not tear down other chefs.

Without chefs as our heroes we are left adrift not knowing who to look up to.

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