With Massachusetts remaining under a lockdown, dining areas and bars across the state are still not allowed to be open, and that led police in a Pioneer Valley city to shut down an illegal bar that was actually hidden underneath a pizza place.
According to a post from westernmassnews.com, police raided Dugout Cafe & Pizza in Chicopee late last week, finding a "fully operational bar" in the basement that included a poker machine. An update stated that a bartender was working at the makeshift bar which had four people sitting at it, and that there were both open and unopened bottles of alcohol along with an envelope with cash in it.
The Chicopee board of health subsequently issued a cease and desist order, effectively closing Dugout Cafe & Pizza down for at least the time being--and both the place and the people who were inside it will be fined as much as $300 per violation.
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
