The Chicken Bone in Framingham, Massachusetts, which was on season 1 of
Bar Rescue
announced in June 2014 that they would be closing for the rest of the summer, with plans to re-open after Labor Day. Many people saw the writing on the wall and figured that they would be closed for good and it appears that they would be correct.
Labor Day passed, and the bar didn't re-open. Then, the bar said they would open on October 3rd, and they later updated customers to say there was a slight delay and it would be October 10th. That date passed as well, and the bar kept stringing along customers saying they still planned to re-open. However, a few days ago, it was discovered that The Chicken Bone was
listed for sale on Bizquest for $175,000.
The Chicken Bone addressed their customers on Facebook about the restaurant being for sale,
stating:
"Hello Fans of the Chicken Bone,
By now many have seen information that the Chicken Bone is for sale. It
saddens me to say this is true. When we closed for the summer we had
the full intention of re-opening. We worked with a prospective new
management team to try to be ready to go as soon as the summer was over.
Delays and resulting economic
conditions have made us unable to continue. When we realized this we
found a buyer who was committed to re-opening as The Chicken Bone on
October 1st . As the day came and passed it became clear that this buyer
did not have the resources to move forward. We are in the process of
looking for a solution and remain committed to the Chicken Bone brand.
Please accept my deepest apologies to all who love the Chicken Bone and
have so patiently waited, as well as the bands who have stuck with us
and been so patient though this difficult time. I have been trying very
hard to connect with a serious buyer who has the capacity and fortitude
to rebuild what I have damaged. My passion for The Chicken Bone will
never fade. It is clear, however, that I simply had too much going on
and I lost the confidence of many of our faithful guests and friends. I
am sorry for letting you down. I have certainly paid a steep price
financially, but worst of all, I hurt the place we all love. I'm not
exactly sure what will happen from here. I don't know if I will find a
buyer who believes, as I still do, that the Chicken Bone is a viable
entity. A buyer who can provide the proper management and ownership
oversight to build this place back up to being the place we all knew and
loved. If you believe in the Chicken Bone as it was and want it
back(minus me) that’s cool, I get it, please share this correspondence
with your friends and let your feelings be known here in this forum and
elsewhere.
We’ll continue to update you on the fan page as
things progress. When new management is ready to come in and re-open,
perhaps under even a new name, we hope you’ll give them the same
loyalty that I was honored to have while running the Chicken Bone.
Thank You,
Bill Rodenhiser"
This bar will now be marked as 'Closed' on the Bar Rescue Updates page, and this is the third bar from season 1 of Bar Rescue that has closed.