The windows of McGreevy’s, The Pour House, and Lir remain dark. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
On Aug. 19, McGreevy’s owner Ken Casey, lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys, announced the bar would be closing due to financial problems since the pandemic. The iconic sports bar had been open for 12 years. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
The Pour House Bar and Grill on Boylston Street announced on Sept. 2 that due to COVID-19 they would be changing ownership. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
On Sept. 3, Lir announced they would be closing after 17 years. The Irish pub is on Boylston Street along with the Pour House and McGreevy’s. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
All three restaurants on Boylston Street — McGreevy’s, The Pour House and Lir — closed within one month of each other. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
Papa Razzi, an Italian restaurant on Newbury Street, closed its doors in fall of 2019. The vacant storefront has yet to be filled. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
Lord and Taylor, a large retail chain, began closing 19 of its stores and filed for bankruptcy in early August. Its Back Bay location recently posted store closing signs. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service 
The Uno Pizzeria and Grill location on Boylston Street has also closed. The Boylston location of the chain pizzeria was open for 40 years. Photo by Elizabeth Dustin/BU News Service
By Elizabeth Dustin
BU News Service
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses throughout Boston have shut their doors due to financial difficulties.
One in five Massachusetts restaurants have closed since March, according to the Boston Herald. Nationwide, more than 163,735 businesses have shuttered since March 1, according to Yelp. Even Back Bay, a notable and popular Boston destination, has been deeply affected by the pandemic.
While masked customers swing open the doors of some businesses on the once-thriving Newbury Street, many others are left empty. Shops sit vacant with paper and signs covering their windows, announcing their departure or their intention to reopen — at some point in the future.
