Southington

Sherman's Taphouse in Southington Closes Its Doors

It's hard to find good help these days - especially in the restaurant industry.

NBC Universal, Inc.

A Connecticut restaurant owner said he's facing a harsh reality after closing three restaurants in the last few years.

Sherman's Taphouse in Southington was the last of Sean Sherman's restaurant chain to close due to a variety of reasons.

""There's a lot of disappointment because as a small business owner, you put a lot of your heart and soul into it," Sherman said.

The black brick, standout restaurant on Center Street served its last meal on Sunday. It was only open for a few years before facing challenges such as inflation and finding workers.

"It's not hard necessarily to get people in the door, but it is hard to find people who want to do the work," Sherman said. "You try to adjust your prices but from a restaurant perspective and from the customer's perspective, we can only adjust it so much."

Having already closed other Sherman's Taphouse locations in Derby and Burlington, he was trying to keep this one afloat.

"I've been floating a majority of the restaurant, and the other restaurant when it was still open, through personal funds when we were short on stuff which was most weeks," Sherman said.

Center Street in Southington hosts staples like Anthony Jack's and Fireside that have been around for years. Many were hoping they could add another hot spot to the list.

"It's sad this is people's livelihoods, right?" Southington resident Kathy Rudzki said. "With the pandemic, with inflation, with everything, it's really sad."

NBC Connecticut

"Wherever you live, that's where you should partake, you should do business there," Southington resident Anita Disantis said.

But with this end, Sherman is looking to a new beginning.

"I do love the place, I love the community. Center Street is a great place to be," Sherman said.

Right now, he doesn't have any work lined up, but he hopes the town of Southington will support him in the future.

He said he's talking to a possible investor to reopen Sherman's Taphouse. If all goes well, he's hoping to reopen in the fall.

Contact Us