Boston-based chef Barbara Lynch announced Friday that most of her restaurants closed at the end of 2023, reports The New York Times. More than 20 employees across her restaurants have accused Lynch of workplace abuse.
Coveted fine-dining restaurant Menton (pictured above) is included in the closures along with two others in the same building: trattoria Sportello and cocktail bar Drink. Her most famous restaurant, No. 9 Park, will remain in business, as will the seafood bar B&G Oysters, and The Rudder, her newest project.
Roughly 100 employees lost their jobs, according to a statement from the company Barbara Lynch Collective, which attributed the closings to “post-pandemic realities,” financial mismanagement by her previous employees, and “an uncooperative landlord.”
"Lynch’s statement did not mention the longtime problems created by her alcohol abuse and verbal and physical aggressions against employees, which led to high staff turnover and were an open secret among Boston’s hospitality workers," according to The New York Times.
At the peak of Lynch’s success in 2017, she boasted many culinary awards, a best-selling memoir, and a spot on Time magazine’s Most Influential People list. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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Image: Menton Relais & Chateaux