Chris Perry Column: A Tale Of Two Restaurants

If Charles Dickens were here on Nantucket today, he might say: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Granted, this is not Jarvis Lorry, Lucie Manette, Ernest Defarge, and the Marquis St. Evemonde in London and Paris in the late 18th century. But it is Fairgrounds, The Downyflake, the Tavern & Gazebo, and Nantucket Island Resorts Retail on Nantucket in late spring of 2026.

For the Nantucket community, the juxtaposition of the two restaurant sagas will have us celebrating on the one hand, while cringing on the other. Unfolding at the same time, it will be bittersweet as we watch a new partnership emerge while simultaneously witnessing the termination of another, lamenting the fact that it didn’t have to end this way.

Pate Kennedy, Ron Oldham, and Ethan and Alexis Devine see the best of times ahead.

“I was born on Nantucket in 1977. My grandparents ran the Overlook," said Ethan Devine, who returned to the island full-time after a successful run in the corporate world that ultimately provided him the necessary financial foundation to reinvest in Nantucket and The Fairgrounds.

“My grandfather, Tom ’T.J.’ Devine, was the town’s Santa Claus. Community support and spirit were a big part of my family and it was important to make this deal between Fairgrounds and Downyflake happen in an effort to give something back to the Nantucket community," Devine added.

“When we closed Downyflake on Sparks Avenue, I never said goodbye," said a nostalgic Pate Kennedy, who, along with Ron Oldham, are jumping back into the breakfast scene ending an 18-month search.

Kennedy continued, “The Downyflake is an important part of the community. We wanted to continue the island tradition. Ron and I acquired the business from Mark Hogan and Susan Tate. Before them, it was Karsten Reinemo. And going back even further, it was Gordon MacDonald. Now, it’s Ethan and Alexis. I think everyone can feel comfortable again."

Fairgrounds will continue to emphasize its lunch and dinner menus while slowly incorporating some of The Downyflake’s traditional breakfast items into its daily routine.

“We understand that there may be some growing pains. Obviously, we will have our famous donuts ready to go and we might experiment with some new ingredients but we want to keep things streamlined," added Oldham who appeared to be itching to get back into the kitchen.

“Downyflake has found a permanent home here, and it’s an honor and a privilege to be working with Ron and Pate," offered Ethan, who summed it up best when we wrapped up our joint interview by saying, “It’s a good deal for both parties and we hope that with hard work it ends up being a good deal for the Nantucket community too."

The same can’t be said for Luke Tedeschi.

If you are a fan of one of Luke’s famous mudslides at the Gazebo, enjoy it while you can because the worst of times are soon to follow.

“I made it well known to Henry (Henry Wyner, Director of Nantucket Island Resorts Retail) that I wanted to extend the Tavern’s lease. But, I never heard back from NIR until they advised me in mid-March that an interested party was coming to view the location. Frankly, that was like they dropped a bomb on me," said the frustrated leaseholder.

Tedeschi continued: “This summer, it will be my 34th year at that location and I was looking at securing one more, five-year lease. That way, I could finish off what I started and develop an exit strategy. I have thrown everything into this business. My two sons, Cosmo and Nico, have grown up here and work with me. I understand NIR has the right to do what they are doing, but you’d think after 33 years, one would have earned some loyalty and respect, but I guess not”.

I reached out to Wyner by phone and email last week for a comment; but outside of a sanitized statement sent to Jason Graziadei, editor of the Current, Wyner and NIR have remained silent.

“Seeing things unfold, I just wanted the opportunity to match what was being discussed. If the rumors are true that some combination of (restaurateur Steve) Silverstein, Cisco New Bedford, etc. are taking over, so be it. But, I feel betrayed." (Cisco Brewers has stated it is not involved in the lease transfer)

Tedeschi is not alone in those feelings.

The Nantucket community has responded with petitions, social media outrage, yard signs, and direct efforts to pressure NIR to reconsider.

Certainly, NIR has the right to open up negotiations with other interested parties in an attempt to maximize their investment, but when is enough…enough?

Is it when the lessee has gross annual sales reported to be “somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 million” enough?

Is it when the lessee served up roughly 36,000 mudslides last season, totaling approximately $650K, enough?

Apparently, NIR doesn’t think so.

Tedeschi has been a good soldier and runs a tight ship, including a minimum age requirement of 25 for entry to the Gazebo. He employs upwards of 65 people and, as one local business owner who has been on the docks for many years said to me, “Tedeschi is just a stand-up guy…”

You couple that with 33 years on Straight Wharf and what does that get you from NIR?

Crickets.

After speaking with several downtown business owners, they too felt the shock wave. If this can happen to Tedeschi and the Tavern after 33 years, who’s next?

The public’s initial reaction has been noticeably cynical towards NIR, and the backlash does not seem to be going away. Unlike Ron, Pate, Ethan and Alexis, who are cultivating loyal support on Fairgrounds Road, the negative response towards NIR is not from a fickle few on the fringe, frustrated by the fact that the community is losing yet another piece of the downtown fabric. Instead, the reaction has been an across-the-board swipe at Big Brother, who once again appears to be forcing a friend, fellow restaurateur, and neighbor to the curb for deeper pockets.

For this summer, Tedeschi and his mudslides are set. However, the drumbeat of bitterness has the potential to be more than just a nuisance post on social media.

Short-term, it would be a mistake if Steve Karp, Wyner, and company underestimate the community’s growing resentment associated with NIR’s unwillingness to show a modicum of compassion or a hint of loyalty toward a 33-year local tenant who has a history of being a good neighbor on Straight Wharf.

Long-term, in addition to dealing with a potential public relations faux pas that won’t go away, NIR will be looking to debut a new tenant in 2027, inevitably with higher prices, to a skeptical local audience long on loyalty to Tedeschi and short on mudslides to serve.

Ironically, that’s a far cry from the growing anticipation associated with the reintroduction of the iconic Downyflake donut at Fairgrounds. The local collaboration has produced the best of times for Ethan and company, who have skillfully crafted a buzz.

For NIR and Tedeschi, it didn’t have to end this way. In fact, NIR’s abrupt change of course is eerily similar to several other cases over the years involving locally owned businesses in the downtown area, such as Pinwheels and the Atlantic Cafe, that were unceremoniously shown the door.

Whether NIR wants to admit it or not, the community’s pushback is gaining traction. Pretending this matter will simply go away won’t work with social media in full gear. Moreover, it won’t be long before national media outlets pick up the juicy details and run with it. Some already have, including The Daily Mail and Mass Live.

Unless NIR changes the narrative, the undercurrent of frustration will continue to grow with each mudslide served this summer. In turn, it wouldn’t surprise me if the extended Nantucket community takes a cue from actor Peter Finch, who played the role of a disenfranchised news anchor in the 1997 movie "Network," encouraging everyone to walk over to their window, raise the sash, lean out outside, and scream:

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more…”

Maybe then, NIR will listen.