The Massachusetts restaurant landscape is undergoing a sudden shake-up as another high-profile dining institution faces the end of its run. Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, a premier staple of upscale dining in the Boston suburbs, has confirmed the permanent closure of its Chestnut Hill location. The shutdown, effective June 28, 2026, abruptly ends a 13-year tenure at 55 Boylston Street.
However, unlike the typical post-pandemic restaurant casualty plagued by waning foot traffic or rising food costs, this closure reveals a structural vulnerability that even highly profitable hospitality groups face: the peril of the commercial lease.
The Chestnut Hill Davio’s Closure
- Final Day of Operations: Sunday, June 28, 2026.
- Location: 55 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA (sharing a commercial footprint with the Showcase SuperLux theater).
- Employee Impact: Zero layoffs; all affected staff are being seamlessly transferred to other regional Davio’s locations.
- Corporate Footprint: The closure leaves Davio’s with 7 total restaurants nationwide, 5 of which remain in Massachusetts.
Why is Davio’s closing its Chestnut Hill location?
If you are wondering why a seemingly thriving restaurant is shuttering its doors, the answer comes down to real estate, not revenue. According to Davio’s owner Steve DiFillippo, the closure is the direct result of a sudden ownership transition involving the Showcase SuperLux movie theater operator, which shares the property. The property’s new commercial ownership structure effectively voided the restaurant’s existing lease agreement, leaving the business without a legal right to occupy the space.
“There are a million reasons why restaurants close, but this one is not closing because of lack of business,” DiFillippo stated to Boston Magazine. Calling the ordeal “the craziest thing [he’s] ever dealt with,” he emphasized the stark reality of the situation: “We’re closing because we don’t have a lease. We can’t stay in a space that’s not ours.”
This abrupt transition underscores the volatility of commercial real estate partnerships. It proves that even a successful 13-year operational history cannot supersede a canceled lease agreement when a building changes hands.
How many Davio’s locations are left in Massachusetts, and is the brand shrinking?
Despite a string of recent market exits, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse is not retreating from its core New England demographic. Following the Chestnut Hill exit, the upscale chain will operate a total of seven restaurants. This includes two out-of-state locations—one in Pennsylvania and one in Virginia—and five remaining Massachusetts strongholds: Park Square in Boston, the Seaport District, Logan Airport, Foxboro, and Lynnfield.
That being said, the brand’s broader national footprint has undeniably shrunk over the past 12 months. Chestnut Hill marks the fourth major closure for Davio’s recently. In January 2026, the company shuttered its Braintree, Massachusetts location at the South Shore Plaza after nine years. This followed full-market exits in Atlanta, Georgia (closed December 2025 after 15 years) and Dallas, Texas (closed July 2025 after six years). While DiFillippo confirmed Chestnut Hill’s profitability, local reporting tied the Atlanta and Braintree closures to escalating mall occupancy costs and shifting consumer traffic.
Looking forward, the steakhouse brand remains aggressively focused on future growth. DiFillippo has confirmed he is actively scouting a new site within the Chestnut Hill area to replace the lost 55 Boylston Street venue. Furthermore, the company plans to target Massachusetts’ South Shore for strategic expansion within the next year, signaling that while the brand is consolidating its out-of-state assets, its commitment to the local Massachusetts dining scene remains deep.
Sources Quoted: Reporting in this article references primary statements and data directly sourced from TheStreet, Boston Magazine, and Boston Restaurant Talk (Marc), alongside historical context provided by NBC Boston, Tomorrow’s News Today, and the Dallas News.
