Moody Street Bar, The Gaff To Close Amid Pandemic

WALTHAM, MA — This weekend The Gaff, a cozy bar on Moody Street known for its appetizers and wide selection of craft beer and cocktails will close its doors, after more than a decade in the space.

"As we come to the end of outdoor dining on Moody Street, it has become more and more clear that we will not be able to survive the winter with the few tables we’ll be allowed to use inside," the owners posted to social media.

The Gaff appears to be joining a growing number of restaurants in greater Boston that have elected to go into hibernation amid the pandemic, in an effort to ultimately save the business.

"Due to the rising risk of Covid-19, our extremely small footprint, the lack of viable tables and an unforgiving increase in government restrictions, we will be putting our business on hold after almost 12 years," they wrote.

Mike Coen and Stephen Murphy opened The Gaff, which is slang for "home," in 2009. The two friends loved that the 800 square foot room has housed a hand full of bars since the early 1930's and considered it one of the last old style neighborhood bars.

The Gaff's last day will be Nov. 28, but the two seemed to leave the possibility of reopening at some point. That date is not clear.

"This was not an easy decision to come to terms with, but we know that if we don’t face the facts then it will only be a matter of time before we would close our doors permanently," they said.

The owners thanked the staff and customers and left it with a: "So long for now."

Patch has reached out to Coen for comment.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.