Months after Ye Olde Tavern closed at the location, the owners of a 263-year-old tavern at 7 East Main St. in West Brookfield will reopen the establishment under its original name, Hitchcock Tavern on June 2, following a soft opening in May.
“We chose to return to the original name, Hitchcock Tavern, as a tribute to Captain David Hitchcock, the young patriot who built the tavern in 1760,” Co-owner Cindy Larson said in a Thursday press release. “This historic tavern has always been an important part of the
fabric of the West Brookfield community, a place where you can enjoy a hearty meal, celebrate an important occasion, or simply gather with friends. After completing some much-needed renovations and repairs, we are finally ready to welcome the community in once again.”
Owners Cindy and Roger Larson hired Michael Rinaldo, former executive chef at Worcester’s Nu Kitchen, as the restaurant’s head chef, and Dianne Lincoln, who has managed several Worcester County restaurants according to her LinkedIn page, as general manager.
The Larsons purchased the tavern in 2007 and operated it before selling the business, but not the property so they could focus on their hospitality venture Common Ground Ciderworks in North Brookfield.
The Hitchcock Tavern was situated on the Olde Bay Path Road, which was a major route between Boston and Albany, according to theThursday press release. It served Presidents George Washington and John Adams, and Daniel Shays, leader of Shays Rebellion, as well as Major General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who became a Revolutionary War hero, commanding American troops against the British.
