Me too. I realize this is a question of personal taste, but I seriously feel they have among the best coffee in Boston. Fortunately you can still get their coffee at many other places, such as their own Newbury location and several cafes around the city (e.g., Cafe Amalfi in the North End, Cafe Fixe in Brookline, 7 Pond Coffee in JP, etc.)
What makes them different is that they don't intentionally downplay drip coffee in favor of pricey pourovers and esspresso drinks like so many others these days (they have those drinks too obviously, but they take their drip offering seriously...so for those on-the-go that want to grab a seriously good cup, it's a quick in-and-out affair). I would challenge any espresso-dedicated person to try Barrington's French Roast on drip.
To me Cafe Nero's coffee is nowhere near Barrington's. Plus, Barrington is a local Massachusetts roastery.
I bet this was a lease-turnover, where the landlord knew they could jack up the rent by bringing in a bank branch and ousting these guys. Grr.