Salem Beer Works Future In Doubt After Hingham Location Closes

SALEM, MA — The announced closing of Hingham Beer Works, and auctioning of its equipment, places the reopening of Salem Beer Works in more doubt after that location has been closed due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

Joe Slesar, president of the company that owns the Beer Works chain, told the Boston Business Journal that the Hingham location will close permanently, and that he is uncertain whether he will ever be able to reopen the Framingham and Salem Beer Works locations.

The company has a standing post on its BeerWorks Facebook pace saying the Salem location was to reopen in June when outdoor dining was allowed once again in Massachusetts, but has been unable to work out a new lease with its landlord and "we are just not sure at this time when or if we will be re-opening."

With many of Salem's Halloween-related activities canceled this year, the hope of a bigger fall season to make up for lost revenue will not be realized in the city.

"We are not crying in our beer here," the post from June said, "just being realistic that it really will take working together to get through the next 6 to 18 months. We can't do that without cooperation from our various landlords. We have been working on that, but as of now haven't been able to reach an agreement that works for everyone."

The Hingham Beer Works auction comes amid a rough week in the restaurant business that saw the closing of The Fours in Boston, Friendly Toast in Cambridge and McCabe's in Somerville, as landlords look to move on from tenants who must remained closed or have limited ability to play back rents due to capacity restrictions that Gov. Charlie Baker has said will be in place until a coronavirus vaccine or therapy is available.

(Scott Souza is a Patch Field Editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

Related Patch Coverage: 'This One Hurts': Fans Of The Fours Mourn Its Closing