Cisco Brewers Says It Is "In No Way Involved" In Tavern & Gazebo Lease Transfer

The Tavern & The Gazebo may have a new operator after this summer, but it won't be Cisco Brewers, according to its management team.

In our story published last Monday about Nantucket Island Resorts (NIR) pushing out longtime Tavern & Gazebo operator Luke Tedeschi, we reported that the frontrunner to take over the lease is a group led by restaurateur Steve Silverstein.

Silverstein runs The Brotherhood of Thieves restaurant in downtown Nantucket (where Cisco Brewers CEO Jay Harman is an investor). He also operates Cisco Brewers' New Bedford location and founded the Not Your Average Joe's restaurant chain.

Silverstein's connections to Cisco led to substantial online speculation over the past week that the brewery was pursuing a deal with NIR to take over the Tavern & Gazebo. The Current reached out to Harman about the situation, and he shared the following statement from Cisco Brewers' management team:

"Cisco is in no way involved with the transfer of the Tavern/Gazebo lease. The Tavern/Gazebo has been a great supporter of Cisco products, and we wish them the best of luck in their negotiations with NIR. We hope the Gazebo mudslide continues to be served with Triple Eight vanilla vodka as a key ingredient in this world-famous cocktail."

Tedeschi, who spotted Cisco's statement posted on the Current's social media pages Tuesday evening, shared this response.

"I would like to give my sincere gratitude and thanks to all of you for the love and support that has come to the surface over the beloved Gazebo Mudslide fate," Tedeschi stated. "I am touched by the overwhelming response of 'The last year of the Gazebo Mudslide.' Quite frankly, I have no idea what the future of the Tavern and Gazebo will be. Rumors are exactly that. What I do know is my own truth, which I suppose is only truly true to me, and that is as long as the Tavern and Gazebo are under my control, which is through the 2026 season, the Mudslide will be available for all to be enjoyed with my formula. Which, by the way, does not and never has had 888 vanilla vodka as an ingredient. I can understand the misspeak. The story has over two million views. Why wouldn’t anyone want to claim to be a part of the story, let alone part of the formula? I guess that's why it is my formula. Be that as it may, let’s just enjoy it for the last season."