FOXBOROUGH (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – For more than a dozen couples, dreams of a wedding at Christina's Fireside Grille have been dashed after the function hall announced that it will be closing its doors for good on June 30.
Andrea Farnworth fell in love with Christina's Fireside Grille located on Washington Street at first sight. She and her fiancé put down more than $6,000 for her Aug. 12 wedding in the restaurant's outdoor garden.
However, to Farnworth's horror, when she went on the venue's Facebook page on Tuesday she learned that restaurant was closing in just four days.
The owners, radio talk show host Marjorie Clapprood and her husband, are reportedly being evicted by their landlord.
Clapprood told The Boston Herald, "we're concerned about the contracts we have booked. We're working to get a personal call or note or e-mail to each of those people."
The couple claims they would have notified the brides of the cancellations sooner, but they were expecting a deal to be made with the landlord.
The owners of Christina's told Farnworth's fiancé that they would eventually refund their money, help them find a new venue, or let them get married at the spot which will reportedly be taken over by new management.
Farnworth just wants her money back, but she doubts that will ever happen. She was instructed that if they, or any other couple, wanted their money back, they would have to make the request by the end of the week.
The contract Farnworth signed did not say anything about what the venue is obligated to do in the event they shut down.
FOX 25's Heather Hegedus spoke with Nicholas Panagopoulos, the landlord, who claims Clapprood and her husband had not paid their rent in two years and owed him $550,000. He claims they also owe another $120,000 in taxes and utility bills.
On the other hand, Clapprood maintains that she and her husband have paid their rent and then some every month.
Panagopoulos claims that the dispute had been drawn out and that the couple could have notified parties at least a month ago.
Cox Media Group
