A decades-old dive bar on the North Shore has shut down--at least for now--and it appears that the updated rules about Massachusetts bars had something to do with it.
According to a Facebook post from the place, Pratty's CAV in Gloucester closed its doors over the weekend, with the note saying that the decision was made "In light of the Governor's announcement [on Friday.]" It seems that the announcement that the Parker Street bar is referring to is that a bar cannot "masquerade" as a restaurant by offering only pre-packaged or manufactured foods instead of food that is prepared on-site, which means a place such as Pratty's would presumably have to wait until Phase 4 to reopen--and Phase 4 might not happen until a therapeutic or a vaccine is in place. (The bar does offer some limited food options, however, though it is not known if those food options would be enough to keep the place open.)
A comment within the Facebook thread does seem to leave the door open for a possible return for Pratty's, saying that they wouldn't be able to reopen "Until there is a cure vaccine or significant treatment to move us to phase 4," though it isn't known if they definitely plan to return at that point.
Pratty's, which first opened back in 1986, is mainly a local hangout with pool, darts, and trivia.
The address for Pratty's is 10 Parker Street, Gloucester, MA 01930.
[Earlier Article]
Updated Rules Have Been Set for Massachusetts Bars, Including What Constitutes "Food"
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]
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