Pearl To Close As New Group Takes Over Inn At Longshore
WESTPORT, CT — Pearl Restaurant & Bar, the popular eatery at the Inn at Longshore in Westport, will close this weekend to make room for a new establishment, according to the owners.
In a post on the restaurant's Facebook page, owners Marc and Lois Backon thanked patrons and staff for their support.
"We wanted to resurrect this very special location and turn it into the Gem of Westport for all to enjoy and be proud of," the Backons wrote. "We wanted to create jobs, we wanted to create a 'Uniquely Pearl' environment for people to create their own special memories over delicious food, drink and entertainment. We, and hope all who frequented Pearl — whether it be for special occasions with family and friends, date-night, graduations, holidays, drinks at the bar after a long work week, round of Golf or enjoying live music on the patio in the summer — believe we succeeded at this mission."
The restaurant was able to weather some difficulties posed by the coronavirus pandemic during the spring, summer and early fall, but over time, the virus took a toll on the business.
For weeks, the state limited the capacity allowed in restaurants, and even though numbers were allowed to increase for a while late in the summer and early fall, the state had to return to more restrictions when coronavirus cases flared up again.
"Marc and I were very sad to make the decision to close Pearl," Lois Backon told Patch on Monday. "We love our team, which made the decision even harder. Simply, the math did not work given the pandemic and restrictions."
In October, the town, which owns the inn and Longshore Club Park, announced that it had signed a new operation deal with Longshore Hospitality LLC, a partnership led by the Greenwich Hospitality Group. Westport signed the deal following the announcement of the pending retirement of longtime proprietor Rory Tagert of Longshore Associates of Westport LP.
"There is a great opportunity and destiny ahead for Pearl," the Backons wrote. "A new management group is taking over responsibilities for The Inn at Longshore and in turn will also take over the restaurant and patio area. They will have the ability to holistically re-imagine Longshore and not be restricted by what restaurant space is today."
Longshore Hospitality LLC was founded by Greenwich resident Charles Mallory whose hospitality group operates boutique hotels in many states, including the renowned Delamar hotels in Greenwich, Southport and West Hartford.
In a statement at the time of the new stewardship announcement, Mallory said, "We recognize the importance of the Inn to the Westport community and are honored to accept responsibility for overseeing its operations. We are hopeful that over the coming years, we will have the opportunity to invest in renovations and upgrades, thereby elevating the guest experience to Delamar standards."
Patch reached out to Greenwich Hospitality for comment but did not immediately receive a reply.
"All that is special of Pearl remains open until the evening of the Saturday the 28th so please come in and enjoy," the Backons wrote. "We also invite all to have Thanksgiving dining at Pearl or pick up for home dining.
"Again, we are so very grateful for being able to bring Pearl into the lives of so many people and appreciate the dedicated support of the staff and of the community for the last four years."
This article originally appeared on the Westport Patch
