Caffe Nero on Newbury Street permanently closed in October 2020. Judge rules that Boston café cannot be forced to pay rent while they were closed during the pandemic A Superior Court ruling in favor of a Boston Caffe Nero location that closed during the pandemic could have positive implications for other struggling businesses A Suffolk County, Mass. Superior Court ruled Thursday in favor of a Boston location of the London-based café chain Caffe Nero, stating that the café cannot be forced to backpay rent for the three months during the early days of the pandemic last spring when the café was shut down during the statewide lockdown. The Newbury Street location of Caffe Nero ultimately closed permanently in October after struggling even when their doors reopened, the Boston Globe reported.