Iconic North Shore Restaurant Closes For Good After 80 Years

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — An iconic North Shore restaurant on the sea that served Bay State families, as well as a "who's who" of notable figures from all over the world, closed for good after 80 years this weekend.

The Athanas family announced plans to close the Hawthorne by the Sea and Anthony's Pier 4 Cafe three years ago and sold the oceanfront property to the town of Swampscott for $7 million.

The family operated the restaurant for three more seasons before closing permanently as the town makes plans for the space.

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"For 80 years, we have had the immense privilege of being part of your lives and the fabric of the Swampscott community," the Athanas family said in a message to the community. "Our father, Anthony Athanas, was a pioneer and leader in the restaurant industry and ahead of his time in so many ways. Swampscott is not only where he decided to open two restaurants, but his home, where he and our mother, Esther Athanas, raised their family of four boys. As a family, we are proud to have contributed to the town we call home."

The family said that the heart of the business has been "our repeat, regular customers" and that "serving several generations of families has been our greatest honor."

"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your unwavering support and patronage
throughout the years," the family said. "We also want to express our deepest gratitude to our incredible and loyal staff. Their dedication and hard work have been the backbone of our restaurants.

"We are immensely proud that some members of our team have been with us for four decades, contributing to the family atmosphere that made our establishments so special. Theircommitment to excellence has been invaluable."

An online auction for restaurant items runs through Tuesday.

The full catalog of items can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)