Salem Restaurant Abruptly Closes Under Mysterious Circumstances

SALEM, MA -- Victoria Station and Vic's Boathouse closed abruptly Wednesday. A sign on the door said the space on Pickering Wharf had been vacated by court order. The restaurant was one of 17 participating in Salem Restaurant Week and had updated its Facebook page on Tuesday with additions to its entertainment schedule, suggesting the closure was sudden and unexpected.

There was no answer at Victoria Station Wednesday afternoon, but the phone was still connected. A post of Salem Food Digest's Facebook page was rife with rumors, including speculation that the restaurant's lease had not been renewed and that Finz was moving to take over the location.

A manager for Finz said "that's certainly a rumor we've been hearing" and referred comment to the restaurant's owner, George Cary. Carey could not immediately be reached for comment.

The sudden closing left at least one group scrambling. Salem Children's Charity was scheduled to have its annual holiday party at the restaurant on December 12.

Victoria Station was once part of a chain that had 100 restaurants, including locations in Burlington, Boston and Framingham. Several locations continued to operate after the chain filed for bankruptcy in 1986. The Salem location was sold in 2008, according to filings with the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

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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).