By Beth David, Editor
EJ’s Restaurant, which has been closed since May, will reopen in the fall as “Cleary’s Pub,” according to building owner Cathy Melanson and Drew Tillett, who will be leasing the building. Mr. Tillett is the former owner of the Ice Chest.
Cleary’s will be an “upscale pub,” said Mr. Tillett.
The new establishment will stress good food, he said, to make use of the “good-sized dining room.”
He is hoping it will be a “restaurant with a really active pub and bar area,” with an Irish influence.
“The other big factor is the function room,” where the deli used to be, said Mr. Tillett.
Ms. Melanson said that she and her husband Ken have been actively searching for a tenant since they closed EJ’s. They had several good candidates to choose from, she said, but Mr. Tillett was the “best fit.”
“He’s a local guy,” said Ms. Melanson, and has previously run a similar, successful business in town.
“We just felt the most comfortable with Drew,” she said.
Mr. Tillett said he hopes that Cleary’s will be a place that everyone feels comfortable, including families, people who just want to relax after work, and people who want a place to hold parties.
Cleary’s Pub is slated to open in November.
Ms. Melanson is due to be at a s meeting on August 30 to discuss an incident of overcrowding that spilled into the parking lot, prompting a large police presence on July 9 and that resulted in an arrest. The building had been rented out for the function.
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