[Ed note: This article was updated on May 18 to reflect the fact that The Automatic has closed.]
It looks like a neighborhood spot in Cambridge that is known in part for its classic cocktails is on the market.
According to two sources, The Automatic on Hampshire Street is up for sale, with both sources sending us photos of a "For Sale" sign shown in one of the windows out front. (The sign refers people to Boston Restaurant Group, giving its phone number underneath.) Messages sent to the place via both email and social media earlier this week have not yet been answered; once we find out more information on the exact status of the spot, we will post an update here.
The Automatic first debuted in the fall of 2016, with Dave Cagle (B-Side Lounge, Green Street, Lone Star Taco Bar, Deep Ellum, Trina's Starlite Lounge, ONCE Lounge) and Chris Schlesinger (East Coast Grill, Back Eddy, Jake and Earl's Dixie BBQ, The Blue Room) opening the place. The dining and drinking spot has been closed since mid-March, around the time that restaurant restrictions went into effect in Massachusetts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The address for The Automatic is 50 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139. Its website is at https://www.theautomaticbar.com/
[May 18 update: The Tables section of The Boston Globe states that The Automatic has indeed closed for good, with Dave Cagle saying that "Winter was tough. This is the time of year when our sales double because of the patio. We're missing out on that, and it carries the whole year, so there's no way we can reopen."]
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]
