Thursday, August 02, 2018

Update: The Parish Cafe in Boston's South End Is Closing; Ilona to Replace It

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated to reflect confirmation that the restaurant is shutting down and that a new spot will be moving in.]

A pair of sandwich shops and cafes in Boston will be down to just one, as its newer location is changing ownership.

According to two sources, The Parish Cafe on Mass. Ave. is being sold, with one source saying that the dining spot is closing and being replaced by a new restaurant. A licensing hearing board page within the city's website seems to confirm that the place is indeed changing hands, as the restaurant was seeking to transfer its license to SIG Hospitality, LLC last month, which would operate a dining spot at that location. The manager listed for the new restaurant is George Axiotis, who is behind New York Pizza in the South End and is also one of the owners of Kava Neo-Taverna, a Greek spot that is also in the South End; it is not known what the concept (and name) might be for the new place, so stay tuned for updates.

The South End outlet of The Parish Cafe first opened in early 2010, joining the original location which has been on Boylston Street in the Back Bay since 1992.

The address for the South End location of The Parish Cafe (and the restaurant replacing it) is 493 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. The website for both locations can be found at https://parishcafe.com/

[August 7 update: Eater Boston confirms that the South End location of The Parish Cafe is indeed closing, with its final day in operation being August 21, though co-owner Gordon Wilcox says that they are planning to open new locations of The Parish Cafe in Boston and are initially eyeing the Financial District.]

[November 29 update: A new licensing board page indicates that the name of the restaurant moving into the former Parish Cafe space on Tremont Street will be Ilona, and that SIG Hospitality is indeed the parent company; OpenCorporates mentions that George Axiotis (New York Pizza, Kava) is a manager, as are Stephen Axiotis (New York Pizza) and Irakili Gogitidze (Kava).]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]