Back Bay Loses a Thai Restaurant Due to ‘Tremendously High Rent’

A restaurant in Back Bay closed down this week citing climbing rents in the neighborhood. Chilli Duck (829 Boylston St., Boston) shuttered for good, according to Boston Restaurant Talk, posting a sign thanking customers for their business.

A tweet from Universal Hub showed the sign in the restaurant window, which read in full:

Chilli Duck will be permanently closed. The reason of the closure was due to our inability to generate sufficient business profits to sign a new lease with tremendously high rent per month. We greatly appreciate your business and support. Sorry that we can’t serve you anymore. Thank you for being wonderful customers!

Chilli Duck was known for its wide array of Thai and Thai-American dishes as well as its aquarium, with a recognizable flowerhorn fish who spectated meals. Dishes ranged from crazy rolls (tempura fresh rolls with shrimp or vegetables) to papaya salads, mango fried rice, drunken noodles, curries, and stir-fried hot basil vegetables.

There are a handful of other Thai restaurants in the area, including Thai Basil around the corner on Newbury Street and Pho Basil in the other direction on Massachusetts Avenue.

This isn’t the only recent Back Bay closing due to a rent increase: Tapeo closed earlier this year after over two decades, citing “unreasonable rent increases and lease terms” and noting the neighborhood-wide “oppressive rents” that have caused other closures in recent years.

• Chilli Duck in Boston’s Back Bay Has Closed [BRT]