• Published: Dec. 16, 2024, 1:04 p.m.

By Dallas Gagnon | MassLive.com

After more than seven decades, Whitneys of Harvard Square is shutting its doors for good by year’s end.

“It is with heavy heart that Whitneys of Harvard Square, a cherished fixture in the heart of Harvard Square for over seven decades, announced its forced closure,” the company said in a Dec. 13 statement.

The business, which opened in 1953, hails itself a “gathering place where friendships are forged, stories are shared and memories are made,” and claims the closure is a result of daytime noise complaints.

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“Despite Whitney’s dedication to serving the community and preserving the spirit of the historic Square … owner Dan McGuire is forced to close down due to its daytime noise level as the reason stated by (Gerald) Chan’s company, Mayhaw LLC.,” the company said in a statement posted to Facebook.

The statement says the company was first made aware of a scheduled eviction in June and given a final notice of eviction for Dec. 31, 2024, after a noise complaint earlier this year.

“Whitneys has always played music in accordance with our entertainment license, and we have never had to meet with the City of Cambridge and its license commission for any complaint,” McGuire said in the statement.

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“We’re beginning to think ‘noise’ truly cannot be the reason for wanting us to lease, and leave in such a hurry,” he wrote.

And according to several reports, it’s not.

Instead, the reasoning is the bar’s “failure to pay any rent since October 2023,” Mayhaw LLC’s attorney told the Boston Globe.

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“The landlord made extensive efforts during the pandemic and after to preserve Whitney’s tenancy,” the attorney told the Globe.

“Unfortunately, Whitneys’ continued failure to pay any rent resulted in an amicable settlement agreement to cease operations at year end.”

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The 37 John F. Kennedy St., establishment is a Mayhaw LLC. property, which is owned by billionaire and investor Gerald L. Chan.

The two parties agreed in court back in October that the business would cease operations by Jan. 1 and vacate the property by Jan. 15, according to The Harvard Crimson. In exchange, Mayhaw would forgive the nearly $50,000 in back rent.

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An affiliate of Chan’s who manages the JFK Street property, Dan White, told the outlet it was McGuire’s back rent that prompted the eviction.

“It’s hard to keep a tenant if they don’t pay any rent,” he said.

“… The guiding light for any landlord, I suppose, is you want your tenants to do well and you want them to pay rent.”

Monday, December 16, 2024

Whitney’s in Cambridge’s Harvard Square Is Closing

It appears that one of the last dive bars in Cambridge is shutting down.

According to an article from The Boston Globe along with a post from Cambridge Day, it looks like Whitney’s in Harvard Square will be closing on December 31, with the closure apparently stemming from a dispute between the bar owner and the landlord, with the former saying that they are being kicked out for daytime noise levels/noise from music while the latter is saying it is because of nonpayment of rent. Whitney’s has been in business since 1953, being a place frequented by locals for beer, liquor, wings, and darts.

The address for Whitney’s is 37 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Its website can be found at https://whitneysofharvardsquare.com/(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

Whitney’s first opened in 1953.

Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Posted Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 11:24 am ET

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Whitney’s, a bar that has been in Harvard Square for more than 70 years, is being forced to close its doors at the end of the year according to a report from The Harvard Crimson.

The bar’s John F. Kennedy location was purchased by Mayhaw LLC in 2014. Mayhaw’s owner, Gerald Chan, owns more than $100 million worth of property in the Harvard Square area. Whitney’s and Mayhaw agreed in court that Whitneys would cease business operations by Jan. 1, 2025 and vacate the property by Jan. 15. In exchange, Mayhaw would forgive $44,800 in missed rent payments.

A post on Whitney’s Instagram page from Saturday, Dec. 14 featured the hashtag “banChan.”
Read more at The Harvard Crimson.

The bar owner said the landlord was evicting them over noise issues, but an attorney for the landlord said the bar owner had failed to pay rent.

By Katelyn Umholtz December 16, 2024

3 minutes to read

Whitney’s in Harvard Square is closing at the end of the month after more than 70 years in business, according to a press release on Friday sent out by Whitney’s.

Owner Dan McGuire said the bar was handed an eviction notice by landlord Mayhaw, LLC because of the bar’s “daytime noise level” being an issue.

According to the press release, Whitney’s ownership was notified about their eviction back in June, and in those six months McGuire tried to remediate the noise issue with the landlord before the restaurant and bar was given a final eviction notice of Dec. 31. 

“Whitney’s has always played music in accordance with our entertainment license, and we have never had to meet with the City of Cambridge and its license commission for any noise complaint,” McGuire, owner of Whitney’s for six years, said in the press release. “We’re beginning to think ‘noise’ truly cannot be the reason for wanting us to leave, and leave in such a hurry, after our repeated assurances that we would keep the volume down.

In a statement received from other news outlets, Mayhaw’s attorney Lori A. Drayton said the eviction notice was actually handed out over the bar’s “failure to pay any rent since October 2023, not due to any noise issues.” Boston.com reached out to Drayton for a statement and more information but didn’t hear back in time for publication.

On Monday publicist Dominic Amenta told Boston.com the situation has turned into a “he said, she said” dispute and that Mayhaw’s claim of Whitney’s owing rent wasn’t true. McGuire said he withheld paying rent for a three-month period over power enhancements that Mayhaw had promised to do for Whitney’s, but didn’t follow through despite making upgrades at other properties. 

McGuire said he and the landlord had worked well together up until the power upgrade issue. A complaint was filed by Mayhaw in August of this year against McGuire’s Fat Heady, LLC, which ended in an agreement that Whitney’s would not have to pay owed rent in the amount of $44,800 if it didn’t play music before 6:30 p.m. and closed before Jan. 1, 2025. 

Ultimately, McGuire claimed it came down to the fact that Mayhaw ownership wasn’t “happy with the images and sounds coming out of my business.”

McGuire also said that Mayhaw, owned by billionaire Gerald Chan, had moved into the upstairs unit in the building where Whitney’s resides at 37 John F. Kennedy St. 

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Other Harvard Square properties owned by Chan include the Harvard Square Theatre and the Dickson Bros. True Value hardware store, both which have sat vacant for years. 

Whitney’s has been viewed as an institution in Harvard Square, inviting students and locals to the neighborhood bar for darts, hot dogs, and beer since it opened in 1953. It’s frequently packed with customers, especially on weekends and during events like the Harvard-Yale game. 

The bar is also an example of what Harvard Square used to be, while its neighbors — chains like Warby Parker and salad spot SweetGreen — show what the square has become. 

Before McGuire owned Whitney’s, it had been a spot he frequented.

“It was a place that was always there. It became a part of my life,” McGuire said. “Then I had the opportunity to buy it, to maintain a piece of community.”

Denise Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, said the news of Whitney’s looming closure was disappointing, but that she’s hopeful something can be worked out between the landlord and the longtime small business. 

“We’re hopeful we can still resolve this problem and move forward,” Jillson said. “Frankly, of any property owner in the Square, this property owner has the capacity to do just that. One would hope this property owner would be more than willing to make the effort for a small, locally-owned business that has been beloved for over 70 years.”

McGuire said he plans to speak at the City Council meeting Monday evening about the closure, if not to help save Whitney’s, then to help other small, locally-owned businesses in Cambridge who may later face a similar fate. Mayor E. Denise Simmons sponsored a late resolution that urges “property owner Gerald Chan to grant a reprieve to Whitney’s beyond the December 31 eviction date to allow for meaningful dialogue and negotiation that could yet preserve this historic establishment.”

Whitneys is located at 37 John F. Kennedy St. The longtime Harvard Square bar will close following a monthslong dispute with its landlord. By Elyse C. Goncalves

By Samuel A. Church and Akshaya Ravi, Crimson Staff Writers

2 days ago

Longtime Harvard Square bar Whitneys will close at the end of this year after being served an eviction notice for failing to pay rent.

Whitneys — which is located at 37 John F. Kennedy St. and opened in 1953 — was purchased by Mayhaw LLC more than a decade ago. Mayhaw is owned by Gerald L. Chan, a billionaire investor who owns more than $100 million worth of Harvard Square real estate. Chan’s family pledged a $350 million donation to rename the School of Public Health in 2014.

In October, Whitneys and Mayhaw agreed in court that Whitneys would cease business operations by Jan. 1, 2025, and vacate the property by Jan. 15. In exchange, Mayhaw would forgive $44,800 in missed rent payments.

The agreement also banned Whitneys from allowing live bands, music, or outdoor speakers on the property.

Rather than attributing the eviction to the missing payments, a statement released by a public relations firm on behalf of Whitneys claimed that the eviction was the result of daytime noise complaints.

“Whitneys has always played music in accordance with our entertainment license, and we have never had to meet with the City of Cambridge and its license commission for any noise complaint,” Whitneys owner Dan McGuire wrote in the press release.

“We’re beginning to think ‘noise’ truly cannot be the reason for wanting us to leave, and leave in such a hurry,” he added.

Dan White, an affiliate of Chan’s who manages the JFK Street property, said that McGuire’s missed rent prompted the eviction. Whitneys stopped paying rent in October 2023, prompting them to begin pursuing eviction proceedings earlier this year.

“It’s hard to keep a tenant if they don’t pay any rent,” White said.

Noise, White said, “was not the guiding light.”

“The guiding light for any landlord, I suppose, is you want your tenants to do well and you want them to pay rent,” he added. “Dan’s a hard-working guy, and he’s doing what he can, but we the landlord can only do so much.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Whitneys’ lease expired. Instead of renewing it, Mayhaw offered Whitneys a month-to-month agreement that would afford McGuire more financial flexibility.

McGuire said Mayhaw was “very good” about restructuring their financial agreement during the pandemic. He claimed that he stopped paying rent in April due to an unfulfilled “promise” by Mayhaw to upgrade the building’s power supply, which he alleges was done for Mayhaw’s other tenants.

“It’s been talked about and promised, in order for me to grow my business here, that the power is gonna be upgraded,” McGuire said. “I currently only have 200 amps in my bar, which is not a lot of power.”

“In fact, I plug in a toaster, it shorts out,” he said.

In response, White said there “was never a promise.”

“I think he had an expectation that would be done,” White said. “We do the best we can, but it doesn’t mean he gets to withhold rent.”

McGuire claimed that after the power upgrades were sorted out, he was forced to leave the property in order for his back pay to be forgiven.

In addition, McGuire also said Morningside moved more of its offices into the upper floors of the property, which he claims led to the eviction.

“They don’t like my look or my sound. He doesn’t want that as his corporate view,” McGuire said.

White said the decision had nothing to do with McGuire’s character.

“We helped them through Covid, gave them rent forgiveness, rent decreases, put them on a percentage rent,” White said.

“If he didn’t do well, there was just a bare minimum rent,” White said. “And at some point, even those minimum rent payments stopped.”

By Dana Gerber Globe Staff,Updated December 15, 2024, 4:46 p.m.

Whitneys, a stalwart Harvard Square dive bar emblematic of the once-gritty neighborhood, said Friday it is closing at the end of the year after a months-long dispute with its landlord.

The stomping ground, which has been a Cambridge mainstay since 1953, has been battling its landlord to stay in its JFK Street location, said owner Dan McGuire, who took over the spot six years ago.

Since the pandemic, McGuire said, the owners have been “trying to kick me out of here for some reason or another.” He said he withheld back rent in an escrow account for a period of time due to a dispute with the landlord, Mayhaw LLC, over a power upgrade for the bar. Most recently, he said, the landlord’s grievance was about daytime noise issues.

Finally, over the summer, Mayhaw brought eviction proceedings. In October, the parties agreed in Cambridge District Court that if Whitneys closed up shop by Jan. 1 of next year, vacated by Jan. 15, and didn’t play music during the daytime or allow live music or bands at the bar, that Mayhaw would waive the $44,800 in owed back rent.

But McGuire, a native of Central Square, said he isn’t going down without a fight.

“I watched this square go through so many changes,” said McGuire. “My big thing now is, even if I don’t survive here — which, I’m going to do everything I can to survive . . . the people that come to Whitneys now, they’re never going to come to the square again.”

In response to a request for comment, the attorney for Mayhaw LLC, Lori A. Drayton, said the closing is a result of the bar’s “failure to pay any rent since October 2023, not due to any noise issues.”

“The landlord made extensive efforts during the pandemic and after to preserve Whitney’s tenancy. Unfortunately, Whitneys’ continued failure to pay any rent resulted in an amicable settlement agreement to cease operations at year end,” the attorney said. “We wish Dan well in his future endeavors.”

McGuire, who said he will speak about the closing in front of the Cambridge City Council on Monday, hopes that going public now will fuel a public outcry that will force the landlord to “wake up” and preserve the bar, which employs eight people.

“I’m not looking for a handout. I’m not looking to be the rebel. I’m looking to hold on to a piece of history in this square that is constantly being taken away,” he said.

“I’m going to fight to the last hour,” he added.

Nestled between a Ben & Jerry’s and a Warby Parker, Whitneys is indeed among the last vestiges of a bohemian commercial hub that has lost such mainstays as Café Pamplona, hardware store Dickson Bros. True Value, and newsstand Out of Town News in recent years.

Whitneys’ last day will be Dec. 31. Any last patrons can check out the Polaroid photos that line the back wall — bartenders take drinkers’ pictures if it’s not too busy — scrawled with messages from years of rowdy college students and sports fans.

Home | Business + Money

Whitney’s of Harvard Square must close Dec. 31 after 71 years under landlord’s order, owner says

By Marc Levy

Friday, December 13, 2024

Whitney’s of Harvard Square, a dive bar that opened in 1953, seen Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo: Marc Levy)

Whitney’s of Harvard Square, an area dive bar open for more than seven decades, says it is being forced to close Dec. 31 by property owner Mayhaw, a business of billionaire Gerald Chan.

The claimed reason is daytime noise levels, owner Dan McGuire said in a Friday press release, while a lawyer for the landlord says the problem is lack of payment of rent.

“Since 1953, Whitney’s remains a gathering place where friendships are forged, stories are shared and memories are made,” but in June, McGuire was “notified that an eviction was forthcoming. After months of negotiation and attempts to get clarification behind the overwhelming news, McGuire was given a final notice of eviction,” according to the press release.

The daytime noise levels were “quickly acknowledged and rectified,” according to the press release. Publicist Dominic Amenta said there had been no complaints made to Cambridge officials for Whitney’s to respond to.

“Whitney’s has always played music in accordance with our entertainment license, and we have never had to meet with the City of Cambridge and its License Commission for any noise complaint. We’re beginning to think ‘noise’ truly cannot be the reason for wanting us to leave, and leave in such a hurry, after our repeated assurances that we would keep the volume down,” said McGuire in the press release. (Chan’s company has offices above him, McGuire said.) “We had a good tenant-landlord relationship ever since I took ownership of my local neighborhood bar six years ago. I always defended Gerald when others in the square would inquire about his dormant buildings and venues that have gone vacant for long periods of time, for example, the Harvard Square Theater and Dickson Bros., as well as the demise of Upstairs on the Square. Never did I think we would share a similar fate.”

Rent payments

Lori A. Drayton of Drayton Law, representing Mayhaw, said Whitney’s is leaving “solely due to its failure to pay any rent since October 2023, not due to any noise issues.”

“The landlord made extensive efforts during the pandemic and after to preserve Whitney’s tenancy. Unfortunately, Whitney’s continued failure to pay any rent resulted in an amicable settlement agreement to cease operations at year end,” Drayton said. “We wish Dan well in his future endeavors.”

The rent was being withheld and put into escrow because Mayhaw promised upgrades and never followed through, and the company dropped it side of the conversation because it simply wanted Whitney’s out, McGuire said, because the ramshackle place doesn’t match the other properties in the area. A stipulation between Mayhaw and McGuire’s Fat Heady LLC shared with Cambridge Day shows the bar being forgiven $44,800 in back rent if it’s out by Jan. 15. It also calls for limits on music and noise until it closes before Jan. 1.

Whitney’s existed as bar through a period that Cambridge insisted it had none – forcing businesses to describe simple food services such as hot dogs or peanuts as having a “kitchen.” But it was beloved as a bar, described by the Harvard Crimson in 2001 as being “one of the most unique – and best” in Cambridge. “Martini maniacs may not find any fancy concoctions on the menu, but they do have beer – and three kinds of hard lemonade – for reasonable prices,” Crimson staff wrote. “Even though none of the regulars have sat in on an Ec10 lecture, they’re just as solid a part of the Harvard culture and count on Whitney’s as a hideaway from all those bratty college kids.”

Hopeful for a solution

Chan’s ownership of several sites in the square has been controversial, with the the defunct AMC Loews Harvard Square 5 on Church Street being a particular sore point back to a City Council-set deadline for action back in 2017.

Denise Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, said the potential shutdown of Whitney’s was “so distressing and disappointing.”

“We’re hopeful something can be worked out. Seventy-one years in Harvard Square is a really long time,” Jillson said. “We’re always hopeful.” She pointed to other legacy businesses, such as Bob Slate Stationers or the Curious George children’s bookstore, that found lifelines after an announced closing.

“A devastating close”

The Whitney’s situation is expected to be brought forward for discussion at Monday’s council meeting, Amenta said, but it is not on the agenda posted in advance. If the topic is brought forward as a late policy order, public comment might be barred by Mayor E. Denise Simmons – but McGuire said it was Simmons who agreed to file that late order.

McGuire seemed unsure Friday that City Council attention would help.

“We’ve weathered economic shifts, recessions, even a two-year pandemic, but this is a challenge we can’t overcome. While this 70-year chapter comes to a devastating close for me, my staff and our loyal patrons, the memories we’ve created together will go on,” McGuire said.

Whitney’s of Harvard Square is at 37 John F. Kennedy St.

By 

• David Cifarelli | dcifarelli@masslive.com

Several festive pop-up bars in and around Boston are stirring up the holiday spirit.

These temporary bars are adorned with festive decorations and feature seasonal cocktails meant to elicit the warm and fuzzy feeling synonymous with the holidays.

Below are eight bars where you can get some holiday cheer and beer.

Santa’s Cantina at Loco Fenway

61 Brookline Ave., Boston.

This is the second year that Loco Fenway has transformed into Santa’s Cantina for the holiday season. The pop-up, which will be up through the month of January, features festive food and drink specials such as Ghost of Christmas Past, Glen Cocoa, Yukon Cornelius and Ya Filthy Animal.

Loco Fenway is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Blitzen’s Bar at The Last Hurrah in the Omni Parker House

60 School St., Boston

The Omni Parker House invites guests to toast the holidays with the launch of its new seasonal pop-up, Blitzen’s Bar. The pop-up will take over the hotel’s bar, The Last Hurrah, from now until Monday, Dec. 30.

Blitzen’s features 12 cocktails, including The Blitzen, Frost Bite and Tidings of Whiskey & Joy. A festive food menu consisting of Reindeer Nuggets, Ralphie’s Nibbles, Popcorn Garlands and more is also available.

The bar is first-come, first-serve and is open from 4 p.m. to midnight daily.

Holly Jolly Bar at Harpoon Brewery in Seaport

306 Northern Ave., Boston

Harpoon Brewery in Seaport will be decked out in holiday cheer from now until Jan. 4, 2025. The Holly Jolly Bar features “over-the-top” Christmas decor and festive cocktails such as the Prancer’s Pomegranate Margarita, Icicle Tea and Espres-snow Martini.

The bar also offers several small bites, including a cinnamon sugar pretzel, pumpkin pie and cannoli chips.

General admission starts at $18 per person and comes with a 90-minute reservation and one welcome cocktail. Reservations can be made online.

Miracle at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge

25 Edwin H Land Blvd., Cambridge

Miracle is located in the lobby of the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge from now until Christmas Eve. Bartenders will don their favorite ugly Christmas sweaters while making Miracle’s specialty cocktails served in whimsical mugs. Small bites are also available from the Kimpton’s restaurant, Bambara Kitchen & Bar.

Miracle is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Maccabee Bar at Noir Bar at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge

1 Bennett St., Cambridge

The Hanukkah pop-up Maccabee Bar is back for its seventh year at Noir Bar at The Charles Hotel in Harvard Square in Cambridge.

The bar has Jewish-themed cocktails, including The Hebrew Hammer (a jelly doughnut-inspired sour drink) and the Shin Shin, Put One In (an after-dinner cocktail with dark rum, cacao, Oloroso sherry and amaro).

Maccabee Bar will be up from now until New Year’s Day. Noir Bar is open from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday and Tuesday and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Reservations can be made online.

By Claudie Bellanger Globe Correspondent,Updated December 6, 2024, 5:53 p.m.

Monday

Holiday Harmony

The New England Conservatory presents “Into the Holidays,” a festive concert celebration at Jordan Hall featuring the NEC Chamber Singers, NEC Symphonic Winds, and Navy Band Northeast. The musicians will play seasonal favorites, including singalong numbers. 7:30 p.m. Live stream option available. Free, but tickets required at necmusic.edu.

Wednesday

Bust a Move

As part of its “Ones to Watch: Boston’s Emerging Artists” series, WBUR CitySpace hosts The Floor Lords, a dance crew that uses hip-hop to empower local youth. The dancers will discuss their history and mission, perform a number, and teach the crowd some moves. Tickets start at $10 for students; $20 general admission. 6 p.m. wbur.org/events

Thursday

Nighttime Nostalgia

Step back in time at the MIT Museum for a night in the ‘90s. Its 21-plus “After Dark: Made in the ‘90s” event will feature retro games, a discussion of the decade’s space exploration pursuits with former astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman, drinks for purchase from Lamplighter Brewing Co., and more. Groove to the sound of the era’s video game music as well as DJ sets. $20. 6 to 9 p.m. mitmuseum.mit.edu

Opens Friday

Gifts Galore

Need to do some holiday shopping? Check off everyone on your list at the annual Harvard Square Holiday Fair, which runs Friday through Sunday this weekend and next, at 1426 Massachusetts Avenue. Featuring a wide variety of vendors, you’ll find everything from art to jewelry to clothing to self-care products. harvardsquareholidayfair.com

Saturday

Winter Stroll

Make the most of the season’s short days! Mass Audubon hosts a candlelit Winter Walk through the trails of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Begin the night by making your own lantern for the journey in the sanctuary’s barn before immersing yourself in the sights and sounds of the season. 4 to 6 p.m. $18 members, $20 nonmembers. Registration required at massaudubon.org.