Fundraiser Set For Staff Of Salem Restaurant That Abruptly Closed

SALEM, MA -- When Victoria Station and Vic's Boathouse closed with little warning last week, it wasn;t just customers of the long-time Salem eatery that were surprised. For many staff members, the shutdown came with no warning and left them out of work heading into the holiday season. Now the community is rallying around those cooks, servers, dishwashers and hostesses with a fundraiser scheduled for December 18 from 7-10 pm Sea Level Oyster Bar & Kitchen.

The restaurant, which was the last of a chain that was popular in the 1970's and 1980's and once had more than 100 location, did not open last Wednesday. Since then, a sign has hung o the front door saying the restaurant had been vacated by court order. On its Facebook page, Victoria Station said the closure was a "misunderstanding" and that they "hope" to reopen.

"We are working to resolve this issue and we continue to appreciate all the love and support our loyal family and friends have shown us today," read the note, which was posted last Wednesday and signed by Victoria Station management. "We will update the status of our situation once we know more. Thank you all for your understanding. "

In addition to next week's fundraiser, donations can be sent directly to:

Salem Five

Attn: Victoria Station Employee Fund

71 Washington street

Salem, MA 01970

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).