Boston’s popular ‘Cheers’ replica bar is permanently closed

Who doesn’t want to go where everybody knows their name, at least once in a while? If you’ve ever watched the sitcom “Cheers,” which ran for 11 seasons between 1982-1993, you probably became warmly familiar with the bar where most of the scenes took place. Maybe you wished you could visit the pub, although logically you knew that it was nothing more than a production set.

In fact, the bar was based on a real establishment, which was initially known as the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston. Founded in 1969, it was a busy neighborhood gathering spot discovered by producers looking for the perfect place on which to base their new show. The owners of the Bull & Finch renamed the pub Cheers when the show became popular.

In 2001, the owners of the bar opened a second location in Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace. They designed it as a replica of the set of “Cheers,” as you can see in this tweet by the official Cheers Boston Twitter account.

The replica bar in Boston’s bustling Faneuil Hall soon became a favorite spot for tourists to visit, enjoy a frosty glass and take some memorable photos. The bar also displayed various pieces from the actual sitcom set, including Sam’s Red Sox jacket and Cliffie’s mailman suit.

Sadly, the replica bar has shuttered its doors for the last time. In a press release, Tom Kershaw, the bar’s founder, announced that the closure would be official as of Aug. 30, naming the COVID-19 pandemic and issues with the establishment’s landlord as the catalyst.

“I have faced, and pulled through, many kinds of downturns and upticks in the economy within the last 20 years Cheers Replica Bar at Faneuil Hall Marketplace has been in business,” Kershaw said in the press release. “Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with no assistance from our landlord (Ashkenazy Acquisition Group), has made this current challenge insurmountable.”

The original pub in Beacon Hill will remain open.