A landmark Boston restaurant that has been in business for nearly 50 years--and at one point was the most profitable restaurant in the entire country--is going to be closing its doors and replaced by a waterfront park, though the dining spot may reopen in a nearby spot.
According to The Boston Globe, plans are in the works to develop Pier 4 in the Seaport District of the city after several years of delays, with a massive residential and commercial complex that includes apartments, a hotel, shops, restaurants, and new parkland. Part of the new open space will include a one-acre waterfront park that will be built where Anthony's Pier 4 currently resides. The article states that the seafood restaurant will not close right away, as the creation of the park will be done at a later stage of the project, and it is possible that Anthony's may reopen next door to its current home, in a part of the complex where a hotel with retail and restaurant space will be built.
The restaurant's website mentions that Anthony's Pier 4 first opened in 1963, soon becoming one of the most well-known restaurants not only in Boston, but in the entire country. Over the years, the dining spot has been visited by everyone from U.S. presidents to famous athletes to religious leaders. In addition to their flagship restaurant on the Boston waterfront, there is also an Anthony's Pier 4 Cafe in Swampscott and an Anthony's Cummaquid Inn in Yarmouth Port on Cape Cod.
Construction on the new development at Pier 4 is expected to begin in the spring of 2012, so it appears that Anthony's Pier 4 will not be closing for awhile.
[December 16 update: According to The Boston Business Journal, the space where Anthony's Pier 4 currently resides will apparently not become parkland, as we had mentioned earlier. Instead, a housing and retail complex that includes 383 residential units will be built at the site. It was not mentioned whether any of the space will be reserved for parkland, and there is still no official word about the possibility of Anthony's Pier 4 moving to a new spot. We will continue to post updates as we get them, so keep checking back. (Thanks to Eater Boston for bringing this to our attention.)]
[October 17, 2012 update: Based on a Boston Globe report, it now appears that the space where Anthony's Pier 4 currently resides will apparently become parkland after all (which contradicts the above update). It also looks like Anthony's might remain in its current space for the foreseeable future, as the article says that "it will have to close its current location when construction starts on the park, which is not likely for several years." As to what will happen when the restaurant finally does close is up in the air, as they have not settled on a new location at this point in time.]
The address for the restaurant is: Anthony's Pier 4, 140 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. Their website can be found at http://www.pier4.com/anthonys.php
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