Forum Restaurant, Damaged by Marathon Bombing, Closing for Good
Forum, the Boylston Street restaurant that closed for four months in 2013 following destruction from the marathon bombing, will close for good next week. Saturday, February 28 will be Forum’s last day of business due to a massive rent increase, the restaurant announced today on Facebook.
“‘The current real estate climate on Boylston Street has motivated Forum’s landlord to raise rent this year by nearly three times our current rate. This rent increase makes it financially impossible for Boston Nightlife Ventures to operate and sustain a business at a location that means so much to us and to our city,’’ according to the post.
The post also said the company will retire the restaurant’s name “out of enduring respect for the events surrounding our brief but unforgettable history at 755 Boylston Street,’’ and called for customers to join employees for a “last hurrah’’ on Saturday night.
The business boarded up its shattered doors and windows and closed for four months following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, making it the last of the businesses damaged by the attack to reopen. According to Tuesday’s post, the reconstruction effort was made more difficult “with insurance claims still backed up by bureaucracy.’’
Euz Azevedo, president of Boston Nightlife Ventures, told The Boston Globe in August 2013 that the company took time to remodel the restaurant before getting back to work.
“We wanted to erase those memories that people had,’’ he said. “I just didn’t want to open with the same look because if you come back to a place where something bad happened to you, you’re going to have those memories again.’’
That month Boston’s former mayor, the late Thomas Menino, called upon Bostonians to show their support for Forum. The restaurant was full of customers at the time of the marathon attack. Boston Nightlife Ventures also operates Griddler’s Burgers and Dogs, The Tap Trailhouse, and Wink & Nod.
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