LYNN — R.F. O’Sullivan’s, a Central Avenue restaurant and pub known for its half-pound burgers and local iconoclasm, permanently closed its doors Sunday.
After eight years of business in Lynn, the Sullivan family sold R.F. O’Sullivan’s to a Revere-based restaurant collective.
“It was the right time,” Richard Sullivan, the restaurant’s owner and founder, said. “It’s bittersweet, but they made us a very reasonable offer.”
In 1991, Sullivan opened the original R.F. O’Sullivan’s pub in Somerville with the mission of making the best burgers in Boston. Sullivan’s son, Richard Sullivan II, and his daughter, Sinead Sullivan, practically grew up in the restaurant, clearing tables and washing dishes as children and teenagers.
Sullivan II said he began working for his father at the age of 14, but went to the restaurant with his father every day since he was 7 years old. He took over as the general manager of R.F. O’Sullivan’s Lynn location after the family opened it in 2015.
“The highlight of the job was just constantly seeing regular patrons from Lynn and the surrounding cities, surrounding towns. We were always there so it was like Cheers —we’d know everyone’s name, everyone would know our names. It was like a family there, and that’s the atmosphere that we always provided to customers,” Sullivan II said.
Sullivan II, who owns a number of Boston restaurants including The Flamingo in the North End, said he also thought the sale was bittersweet. He said his father worked tirelessly to build and grow their family business, and that he deserved some time to pull back and enjoy his life.
After stepping away from the business, Sullivan said he and his wife Linda look forward to spending time with their grandchildren, including his Sinead’s expected second child.
“Maybe he wasn’t feeling good, he could be hurt, he could be down a little bit. No matter what, he got up every single day and went to work to provide for us as a family,” Sullivan II said. “He’ll still help me in my ventures in Boston, but now he can finally get a boat and enjoy what life has to offer.”
Although neither Sullivan nor his son were willing to disclose the name of the Revere restaurant collective, Sullivan said that he liked the business’s concept and thought that the new restaurant would be a good fit for downtown Lynn.
When asked what he considered to be the highlight of his more than 30-year run as a restaurant owner, Sullivan said the people of Lynn made the work worthwhile.
“The people are great — our patrons, the city, the mayor, the police department, everyone,” Sullivan said. “They all supported and welcomed us over the years, and we’re grateful to this city.”
