Iconic ‘Cheers’ Bar Still the Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Did you know an iconic Boston bar received only $1 to stand in for a popular television sitcom?

That was the case for Cheers (the bar, not the sitcom), according to The Takeout. Cheers began its life as the Bull & Finch, an English-style pub opened in 1969 by Thomas A. Kershaw. Its claim to fame came when television show creators Glen and Les Charles teamed up to create a show about a bar in Boston. After browsing the phone book, they contacted the Bull & Finch and asked if they could use it for establishing shots within the program. Kershaw agreed to have his bar featured, receiving only $1 in payment.

Following the popularity of Cheers (the sitcom), Kershaw eventually renamed his pub Cheers Beacon Hill and sold merchandise in its gift shop.

Today, bar guests can order dishes from the menu inspired by the show. You can find "Sam's Starters," which include chicken wings and potato "pub" skins, or an entree like Rebecca's Fish and Chips and Carla's Meatballs and Linguini. 

Heartier appetites will love the Giant Norm Burger — two patties topped with Muenster cheese, mushrooms, and onion rings, plus lettuce and tomato. 

According to The Takeout, Cheers Beacon Hill continues to get hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In fact, one would need a scorecard to keep track of all those names.