Boston's 'Greatest Bar' Addressing Multiple Health And Safety Violations

BOSTON (CBS) – A popular Boston sports bar could be shut down if its owners do not address violations found by the city's Inspectional Services department.

The Greatest Bar was issued 14 service violations, Inspectional Services Commissioner William Christopher told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker.

Violations included issues with the storage and separation of food. There were also egress violations such as flammable materials in a stairway, stairs blocked with debris, and overloaded circuits, Christopher said.

On Friday morning there was a meeting between Inspectional Services and the bar to address the issues.

According to Greatest Bar owners, Jerome Smith of the Problem Property Task Force had not been in contact with them before a raid on Thursday night.

Instead, Greatest Bar officials say Smith had spoken with the building's landlord who "has nothing to do with our business."

"The Greatest Bar is a venue that has celebrated the City of Boston - it's history, sports, politics and entertainers - for more than 10 years," the Greatest Bar owners said in a statement. "We take pride in being a valuable resource to this community. We are seriously concerned about the charges that are being alleged by Jerome Smith and his Task Force and look forward to working with the City to resolve these issues."

Christopher told WBZ NewsRadio that the city's goal is to arrive at "a happy compromise that will bring all things into line with all of our codes."

"We are not compromising life safety at all," Christopher said. "If I'm not happy with the health condition I will close their kitchen. If I'm not happy with their egress I will close their bar.

Late in the afternoon, Greatest Bar representatives added an updated statement saying they will be open for business Friday night.

"We are pleased to have been able to work with City officials today to address their concerns and remain open for the U2 concert tonight," the statement said. "We will be ready to work with the City again tomorrow - and moving forward from this point on - to continue making progress in addressing any concerns that they might have. We share the City's concerns for public safety and are dedicated to ensuring that our patrons enjoy the safest environment possible."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports