A beloved roast beef shop in Boston has shut down, and the owner is putting the blame on the city of Boston.
According to a couple of sources, Roast Beast by Packards Corner is no longer in business, with a Facebook post from the place saying that the city fire inspector and Mayor Walsh "shut me down...no advance notice." The exact details of what resulted in the closing of the Commonwealth Avenue shop are unknown, so keep checking back for details as they come in.
Roast Beast, which first opened in early 2011, has been a fave among people in the restaurant industry over the years, and Chronicle covered it in an episode, saying that "The name will make you smile, and so won't the piled high roast beef sandwiches at this Commonwealth Ave eatery near Boston University."
The address for Roast Beast was 1080 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215.
[November 6 update: A new Facebook post mentions that the Roast Beast brand is now for sale, and it would apparently include the name, website, trademarks and copyrights, recipes, fixtures, and all else connected to the brand.]
[November 6 update #2: The City of Boston has responded to the Roast Beast issue, saying the following in a statement:
The Walsh Administration has made clear that we want to work with any small business owner to ensure they can be successful here in Boston. There is some work to be done to ensure that Roast Beast is operating safely but every department involved is more than willing to work with Roast Beast to help them through that process....After receiving a complaint from ISD's health division, a Boston Fire Department inspector visited the location and presented the owner with three options of varying costs: a restaurant hood, a recirculating hood or to use a panini press since they stated they were only interested in toasting bread....The owner refused the three options that were presented to him. During this visit, BFD observed a build up of grease on the sprinkler pipes and ceiling. It is not possible for this build up of grease to come from toasting bread, and it was a clear indication that there was cooking happening at this location.- Given the build up of grease on the sprinkler pipes and ceiling and the refusal of the owner to include any kind of ventilation, this is when BFD issued a cease and desist order as they did not believe that the restaurant was operating in a safe manner....The next day, BFD visited the restaurant again to offer the owner an opportunity to take 30 days to come up with a plan, and implement that plan. However, the attached abatement with that guidance was never provided to the owner as he stated that he was not interested in reopening.
This statement comes on the heels of owner D.J. Lawton telling boston.com that "I've been in business for nine years and nobody has told me I need a hood....For nine years I've been inspected perfectly and nobody's told me. If I had to put a hood in [the kitchen] it would cost me $150,000 to vent it up to the roof, and I don't know if the landlord would permit me to do that.”]
by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]
