West Orange Restaurant Closes, Cites ‘Force Majeure’

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A West Orange restaurant has closed its doors due to “force majeure,” it says.

On Sunday, The Boiling Place announced on social media that it would close at the end of the day. The message was brief and to the point:

“Due to some force majeure, our restaurant has decided to close after today. Thank you all for your continued support. If you want to order still can order today.”

In their post, the seafood restaurant referenced “force majeure” – a legal concept that has become freshly relevant because of the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating effect on small businesses.

According to Investopedia.com, "force majeure refers to a clause that is included in contracts to remove liability for natural and unavoidable catastrophes that interrupt the expected course of events and prevent participants from fulfilling obligations."

“Thank you for your support,” the restaurant added in the comments section of its post. “It was a difficult decision because of the rise in prices and all kinds of expenses. It's hard to find a balance between customers and profitability. That we had to decide to end it.”

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