Two Chittenden County restaurants, in Colchester and Burlington, announce closures
Two Chittenden County restaurants announced this week that they are shutting down, one immediately and one after business Sunday.
The latter, The Guilty Plate Diner in Colchester, announced on social media that Sunday will be its last day. New owners Darrell and Sarah Langworthy began there in the summer of 2022, revamping the menu in part to reflect the food Darrell Langworthy oversaw at his former eateries in Essex Junction, Mark BBQ and Heart n Soul.
“We have loved being (a part) of the community and meet new people every day and we truly wanted this to be one of our restaurants with longevity but it just wasn’t meant to be,” The Guilty Plate Diner posted Tuesday afternoon. The social-media message noted that the owners came to the location with a lease and an option to buy, but “when it came to the buying part we could not reach an agreement that made all parties involved happy and decided it was best to part ways.”
Langworthy, who also runs food trucks, was already planning a second restaurant that will now be his only one. He indicated in previous social-media posts that a business using the Mark BBQ and Heart n Soul names will settle in soon at 155 Market St. in South Burlington. The Guilty Plate Diner’s social-media post said gift cards from the diner will be honored at the new location “once we fully open.”
Deep City closes in Burlington
A restaurant that shares the stout brick building near Burlington’s waterfront that also houses Foam Brewers announced Wednesday on social media that it is shutting down immediately.
“We’ve decided to close Deep City for normal service, starting today, for the foreseeable future,” according to the post.
Deep City opened in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, which meant “the odds were stacked against us,” according to the social-media post. “Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the pandemic, there have been constant challenges, most of which the entire industry is feeling, such as staffing shortages, supply chain shortages, & inflation.”
The closure means “we have to say goodbye for now to our Deep City team, which is by far the hardest part,” according to the post, which also thanked suppliers, farm partners and diners. “With the plethora of amazing restaurants in the greater Burlington area, we’ve always felt honored when our restaurant has been packed to the brim with excited guests, which happened often.”
Deep City leaves the door open to “reopening in some capacity,” according to the post.
“At this point, we don’t know when, or what that would look like, but we’re planning on putting serious thought into this question in the coming months,” according to the social-media message. “So, it’s likely that this is a goodbye for now, not forever. Until then, thank you everyone, & see you next door at Foam Brewers, which is very much still open & loving life.”
Just last week, another Burlington restaurant, El Gato Cantina, announced it is closing its Church Street location following “all the Covid pivots and downtown struggles.” El Gato said it will put more focus on its Essex Junction site.
Contact Brent Hallenbeck at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington, Colchester restaurants announce closures this week