by Marc Hurwitz
The last of what was once a chain of restaurants has been shut down and apparently forced to vacate its space, and it is not known for sure what the future holds for the space.
According to a source, Victoria Station in Salem (and its affiliated bar, Vic's Boathouse) is locked up with a sign out front saying it has been vacated "by order of the court," with a Facebook post from Salem Food Digest showing a "Keep Out" sign with a Commonwealth of Massachusetts seal on it in the window/door of the Pickering Wharf spot. Rumors and chatter are taking place this afternoon about what might become of the space, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet so stay tuned for updates.
The Salem location of Victoria Station is the last of approximately 100 locations of the former chain; other outlets had once been in Boston, Burlington, and Framingham, but all of those locations are long gone now.
The address for Victoria Station (and Vic's Boathouse) is 86 Wharf Street, Salem, MA, 01970.
[December 7 update: The Salem News is reporting that Victoria Station was shut down by the building's landlord, as the lease had expired on November 30 and had not been renewed--and that a new tenant was apparently slated to take over the space at the beginning of this month. The article mentions that the annual Salem Children's Charity was supposed to be held at Victoria Station on December 12, but now the charity--whose holiday parties had been held at the dining spot for 23 years--is in the process of figuring out a possible alternative plan.]
[December 9 update: A new post from the Salem News mentions that the Salem Children's Charity will go on after all, as the Hawthorne Hotel is offering space in its ballroom for the event, which is expected to take place on Tuesday, December 12. (The article also says that Victoria Station is apparently still helping out with the event, playing a role in putting it together.)]
[December 30 update: A new article from the Salem News confirms what we had been told earlier this month, that Finz plans to move into the space where Victoria Station had been. The post mentions that the move from 76 Wharf Street to 86 Wharf Street will give the seafood restaurant an extra 1,000 square feet of space or so, and that construction and renovations on the space should be finished by June of 2018, which is when Finz could be moving in. (Thanks to @cappyinboston for bringing this to our attention.)]
[April 24, 2018 update: A Facebook post from the restaurant indicates that Finz hopes to open in the old Victoria Station space in a few months, with renovations currently in progress.]
[September 3, 2018 update: Finz said goodbye to its present location tonight, and according to a Facebook comment, it hopes to open in its new space in the middle of this month.]
[September 18, 2018 update: A new Facebook post from the place mentions that Finz is now open in its new home in the former Victoria Station space.]
Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
