boston restaurant talk

The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge's Central Square May Be Reopening Under New Ownership

Cantab Lounge
Flickr/Christopher Schmidt

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.]

Last summer, it was reported that a landmark bar and music club in Cambridge was up for sale, and now we have learned that a new owner is indeed seeking to open the place back up.

According to a Cambridge License Commission page, a transfer of the liquor license for The Cantab Lounge in Central Square is in the works, with Richard "Fitzy" Fitzgerald and parent company Crystal Lunch, Inc. looking to transfer the license to Dancing in the Dark, LLC, with Michael Cronin being the proposed manager. In an earlier article here from last July, Fitzgerald mentioned that the club was going on the market, though no details on a prospective owner had been given at the time; Fitzgerald said that "After 50 years of good times and good friends I have made the decision to put The Cantab Lounge up for sale....The Cantab is currently closed, due to the governor's order that all bars will remain closed until a vaccine or credible treatment has been identified. We look forward to opening just as soon as it is safe to do so."

The Cantab is a basement spot that is part of Club Bohemia, with The Cantab itself once being known for being home to legendary R&B group Little Joe & The Thrillers. Its address is 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139.

Thanks to Cambridge Day for initially bringing this to our attention.

[Earlier Article]
The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge's Central Square Is Up for Sale

by Marc Hurwitz

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]


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