Thursday, May 16, 2024

The Wheelhouse Diner in North Quincy Is Closing

A diner just south of Boston that has been around since the 1940s is closing its doors. 

According to multiple sources, the Wheelhouse Diner in North Quincy is shutting down, with the news coming on the heels of a dispute between restaurant owner LeeAnn Vieira McDonough and the new landlord of the property; McDonough says the following in a Facebook post:

So today was our last court date. I know many people wanted me to fight to stay here as long as possible and I understand this place means a lot to a great number of people. However, I have decided to close June 30th. The reality of the situation is the longer I fight this the further down the road I am pushing off the inevitable. In the meantime, the condition of the building being 80 years old is deteriorating....It is a money pit that I didn't mind spending money on when I was in it for the long haul. However, any additional money spent is now debt that I will never recover.

McDonough does hint in the note that she is looking to open a restaurant in a new location, though it isn't known if it would be another version of the Wheelhouse Diner (in the post, she states that "I do plan on moving on. You will see me again in a new location").

An article in the Patriot Ledger mentions that Ciahua Chen, who is principal of Hancock Realty Trust LLC, bought the property early last year and has been attempting to evict McDonough since last October with the pans being to put up a multistory structure with a diner on the ground floor, based on information from Helen Shiner of Shiner Group Realtors in Quincy. (Construction wouldn't start for three to five years.)

The address for the Wheelhouse Diner in North Quincy is 453 Hancock street, Quincy, MA, 02171. Its website is at https://www.wheelhousediner.com/


[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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