Landlord at former Citizen Wine Bar seeks microbrewery

Photo | File The Citizen Wine Bar got decorated for the holidays before it closed at the end of December.

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By Zachary Comeau

The owner of the One Exchange Place building, formerly the home to three Niche Hospitality Group restaurants, is now looking for one operator to fill all three vacant spaces.

Hugh McLaughlin, a principal at BradyMac Capital Advisory in Hingham, told WBJ the preferred tenant would be a microbrewery or another restaurant type use to fill the space left by the closing Citizen Wine Bar, the People’s Kitchen and Still & Stir at the end of December.

The Niche Hospitality restaurants informed McLaughlin of their intent to vacate the day he bought the property on Oct. 31. The restaurants were all on a short-term lease, McLaughlin said.

Niche Hospitality, which is based in Worcester and includes other restaurants like The Fix Burger Bar and Mezcal Tequila Cantina, announced the departure of the restaurants from the historic building on Nov. 21.

McLaughlin said he has already discussed the space with a few breweries and even cannabis firm Bloominus Holdings, the latter of which is instead interested in another building owned by McLaughlin’s firm on Main Street.

“The better program in there is a single operator that takes all of the space under one brand,” he said.

The space is still several months away from being occupied, as McLaughlin is planning upgrades to the building and courtyard, which is shared with Michael’s Cigar Bar.

Niche Hospitality President Michael Covino told WBJ in December that he is seeking space on Grove Street to reopen the three concepts after originally eyeing the Mercantile Center.