Are Nantucket Restaurant Closures The "Canary In The Coal Mine"?

One of Nantucket's year-round restaurant favorites, Keepers on Amelia Drive, abruptly announced on Monday that it was closing its doors. That makes it the fifth island restaurant that will not return for the summer of 2022.

The list includes 56 Union, The Pearl, The Boarding House, Lola Burger, and now Keepers.

That’s a lot of seats missing on the island dining scene as the summer season arrives, and for one of Nantucket's government and business leaders, it represents the "canary in the coal mine" for the island economy.

"They're the canary in the coal mine," Select Board member and Something Natural owner Matt Fee said on Wednesday. "Something is out of whack here. I believe it's housing. It's difficult to operate, more difficult than ever. People you would never expect are leaving their business or selling their business and the businesses aren't opening."

While the return of The Brotherhood of Thieves this week after a year-and-a-half hiatus will help ease the impact, and the Pearl and Boarding House are expected to return next year under new ownership, the sheer number of restaurants now gone after just a single offseason is a bit startling.

In the case of 56 Union, the Jannelle family decided to end its run in the restaurant business after 22 years and start a new chapter. They sold the restaurant and the property to the neighboring Great Harbor Yacht Club last fall for $3.6 million, and it will be used in the future for club purposes rather than a restaurant open to the public.

As for The Pearl and The Boarding House, two of downtown Nantucket’s longest running dining establishments, former owners Angela and Seth Raynor similarly decided the time was right to bow out of the industry last fall. In October, the Raynors sold the restaurants and the properties to Blue Flag Partners for $7.2 million. Blue Flag announced last week that due to construction delays, the reopening of The Pearl had been pushed back to the summer of 2023.

And Lola Burger owner Marco Coelho announced last month that the popular restaurant at the Milestone Rotary would not be reopening as he shifts his focus to other restaurant projects off-island. Coelho also cited the island’s challenging labor situation and housing market. The property is said to be under agreement, but a sale has not yet closed and, barring a miracle, it will not be reopened as a restaurant this summer.

Meanwhile, the popular mid-island spot Faregrounds Restaurant and Pudley’s Pub is up for sale, as Bill and Kim Puder have been seeking offers from interested parties, but believe it will likely be open through the summer.

"If you think ahead to what we'll have, we're going to have a consolidation," Fee said. "We aren't going to have the mom and pops. Maybe we'll have a bunch of food trucks and a few large businesses... I think we're gong to lose the fabric of what people come to Nantucket for. If people can't get restaurant reservations or have to wait three hours for ice cream or God forbid can't get ice cream, or can't come to a Something Natural at some point, we as a community have lost."

There are also several other island restaurants that are typically open by this point in the season, but have not yet welcomed diners back to their establishments. Those include the Afterhouse on Broad Street, Black Eyed Susans on India Street, and The Saltbox on Macys Lane near the airport.

The sign on the Afterhouse indicates a reopening in May. Co-owner Kevin Anderson told the Current this week that his team has “some exciting news coming soon.”

Black Eyed Susan’s owner Susan Handy was emphatic in telling the Current last month that the restaurant would be opening “in late May.”

And Saltbox owner Genevieve Gauvin said her restaurant was looking to reopen this Friday.

In addition to the reopening of The Brotherhood, there will be a new dining spot on South Water Street within the next month when Cindy and Lee Milazzo open Nantaco, which will include 36 seats (24 indoor and 12 outdoor), along with a mobile food truck operation.

Nantucket Chamber of Commerce executive director Peter Burke said Tuesday that while will there will be fewer restaurants operating this summer, the many dining establishments still in business have adapted to serve more people in different ways - whether that be takeout or outdoor dining. There are new businesses offering at-home meal services, along with new food trucks like Sushi Sean and the aforementioned Nantaco.

“It’s a really hard business, and everyone who has run or worked in a restaurants knows it’s challenging,” Burke said. “Will people have an easier time getting reservations this year? It’s hard to say yes to that. But I don’t want to raise alarm bells. There’s other great options, and restaurants have pivoted in different ways during COVID and today. It’s important for people to understand there are other options if they can’t get a seat at their favorite spot. The restaurants are going to be busy this summer - the ferries are full and the hotels are booked up.”