Boston Beanery closes its doors

By KENNETH HART - The Independent

ASHLAND June 30, 2008 11:47 pm

— Boston Beanery Restaurant and Tavern has closed its doors after a three-year run in Ashland.
The company’s Huntington location also was shut down on Monday.
The restaurants’ parent company, Boston Hospitality Group of Morgantown, W.Va., had for several months been searching for local franchisees to operates both the Ashland and Huntington locations.
The company had intended to operate the two locations for a couple of more months, but opted to go ahead and close them after learning its liquor licenses, which expired on Monday, hadn’t been renewed, President Dave Seman said Monday evening.
“That kind of forced our hand,” he said. “We didn’t want to try and operate and not serve alcohol with our concept.”
Seman said he was unaware until several days ago the liquor licenses hadn’t been renewed because the company executive in charge of doing so had been off work because of a medical crisis in his family.
The closing of the Ashland Boston Beanery cost about 45 workers their jobs, Seman said. A similar number worked at the Huntington location, he said.
Seman said “tough economic conditions” were a factor in the company’s decision to close the two restaurants. However, he said he had received numerous phone calls from parties interested in buying the two properties.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from individuals who want to get into the restaurant business,” he said. “Those stores are both in great shape. You could put your menu and your food in there and open the next day.”
Seman said the company also was still open to the idea of setting up franchisees who would be interested in reopening the restaurants as Boston Beanery outlets.
He also said anyone interested in discussing opportunities about the two locations may call him at (304) 594-0095.
The closures leave Boston Beanery with five locations in West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio.
Seman said he was saddened about having to close the Ashland and Huntington restaurants and felt particularly bad for the employees.
“It’s a just a matter of economics,” he said.
Boston Beanery’s Ashland location opened in 2005 in the building at 1612 Greenup Ave. that had previously housed CR Thomas’ Old Place. That business closed after running into tax problems.
Boston Hospitality Group did extensive remodeling work on the interior of the building prior to the reopening.
The Huntington Boston Beanery in the former Heritage Station building at 11th Street and Veterans Memorial Boulevard also opened in 2005.
KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.