From relative newcomers to veterans, these Chittenden County restaurants closed in 2023
The restaurant landscape remains arduous nearly four years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pool of hospitality-industry employees continues to be shallow, the cost of food and supplies needed by restaurants continues to be high, and diners continue to be selective about when and where they will go out to eat.
Many new eateries have come onto the Vermont dining scene in 2023. Some old favorites, however, have departed – even one of those seemingly permanent national chains, Denny’s, has left its long-held spot along Shelburne Road in South Burlington.
Here is a look back at a few of the Chittenden County restaurants and bars that have moved on, from relative newcomers to those that have served the needs of customers for a generation or more.
Maudite Poutine, Burlington
The purveyor of that Canadian French-fry comfort-food specialty shut down its year-old Old North End shop on Feb. 25. “We are pivoting our business back to mostly mobile,” co-owner Leah Collier told the Burlington Free Press.
Big Daddy’s Pizza, Burlington
Long a staple of college students, Big Daddy’s came to an end last winter. The lower Church Street building stayed vacant until recently, when Marco’s Pizza relocated from its spot on Williston Road in South Burlington.
Naru Asian Cuisine, Williston
This restaurant closed at the end of May, but the space was refilled quickly. Aromas of India by Sarita’s Kitchen, specializing in a vegetable- and paneer-forward menu, now occupies the Cornerstone Drive storefront.
Perky Planet, Burlington
This St. Paul Street coffee shop opened in 2019 with a plan to hire people with disabilities. Owner Richard Vaughn told the Burlington Free Press as Perky Planet prepared to close in June that he was 63 years old and couldn’t picture committing to another five-year lease on the space.
Vermont Fine, Richmond
Though it had just opened in the old Kitchen Table Bistro building in October 2022, Vermont Fine announced its abrupt closure July 19. Within two months, The Kitchen Table, a replacement bearing a name evoking Vermont Fine’s predecessor, opened in that space.
Stone’s Throw, Charlotte
A small Vermont pizza chain announced the closure of its two-year-old Charlotte spot effective Sept. 10, with plans to open at a new site along Vermont 15 in Jericho. Stone’s Throw pizza also has eateries in Fairfax, Waterbury and Richmond.
Philo Ridge Farm, Charlotte
Charlotte’s handful of dining destinations dwindled further when Philo Ridge Farm announced in early November it would “pause all public-facing food service operations” Dec. 10. The business is shifting to become a nonprofit organization focused on the future of agriculture in Vermont.
El Gato Cantina, Burlington
A stone’s throw from the just-closed Big Daddy’s Pizza (see above), El Gato Cantina announced Nov. 13 it would be shutting down its Church Street location. El Gato plans to focus on operations at its other site in Essex Junction.
The Guilty Plate Diner, Colchester
Darrell Langworthy moved his Essex Junction business Mark BBQ into this diner on Porters Point Road in October 2022, but announced this November that he would be shutting the diner down. Mark BBQ and another past Langworthy restaurant, Heart n Soul, opened this month in South Burlington.
Deep City, Burlington
Attached to Foam Brewers near Waterfront Park, Deep City said in late November that it was closing for “normal service … for the foreseeable future.” The restaurant had opened in early March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The Archives, Winooski
The two-year-old bar specializing in cocktails and classic arcade games closed its spacious spot on the rotary in Winooski on Dec. 17. The Archives retains its original location on College Street in Burlington, which opened in 2016.
Church Street Tavern, Burlington
Perhaps the most deeply entrenched of all the Chittenden County restaurants to close in 2023, the Church Street Tavern revealed Dec. 17 that it would shut down the day before Christmas Eve. The eatery and sports bar has served customers along the Church Street Marketplace since 1995.
Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont restaurants: These Chittenden County spots closed in 2023
