Cambridge Common And Lizard Lounge To Close Next Year: Report

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A longtime restaurant and music venue in Cambridge are preparing to close next year, according to a report from WBUR.

Cambridge Common and the Lizard Lounge, located beneath the restaurant at 1667 Massachusetts Ave., are expected to close at the end of May 2027. Owners Holly Heslop and Charlie Christopher plan to sell the building and were in talks with a prospective buyer.

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Heslop said the decision came as the couple faced retirement, Christopher dealt with chronic health issues, and longtime chef Arcesio Suarez prepared to return to Colombia after 28 years with the restaurant. The couple opened Cambridge Common in 1996 and added the Lizard Lounge the following year. They previously operated Christopher's restaurant and the neighboring Toad music venue in Porter Square.

The basement club became a regular home for local musicians and hosted performers including Patty Griffin, Guster, Martha Wainwright, Lori McKenna and Morphine's Mark Sandman. Lake Street Dive got its start at the venue and released a live album and concert film recorded there in 2011. The club also hosts a weekly Sunday poetry night.

The venue placed musicians close to the audience, with performances on a carpet surrounded by seating on three sides. Heslop said the restaurant helped support the club financially by covering shared expenses, including insurance and the liquor license.

Employees have been informed of the planned closures, and a spring sendoff is being organized. Club D'Elf, which regularly performed there beginning in 1998, hopes to resume its residency for several months before the club closes.

Read more at WBUR.

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