“We haven’t been closed for a minute,” Monte Ferris Jr., owner and operator of the Venus de Milo restaurant and banquet hall, said in his office on Tuesday, June 2. 

The iconic facility at 75 GAR Highway has been a staple of proms, weddings, baptisms and other family functions for generations. But Ferris said recent issues with the town Board of Health over now-rescinded orders, and public stigma, have put the business at risk.

"The financial loss is significant," Ferris said. "This has caused an emotional loss. It's a short-term hit to our reputation. Thankfully now it's cured, but a short-term hit to our reputation that we didn't deserve."

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