BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Burlington staple Sweetwaters reopened its doors Thursday at its original location, four years after closing amid pandemic struggles and downtown challenges.
“It feels like back to the future,” said Sweetwaters owner David Melincoff.
If you blinked, you may have missed the changes. When Sweetwaters closed, Pascolo Ristorante moved from a block up the street. Now, both restaurants have moved back to their original locations.
With some winters filled with snowboarding, Melincoff said he was ready to come back and slowly pass on the restaurant to a new team. “Just felt like I got my rest and it was time to maybe, you know, try something new again and go forward,” he said.
Head Chef Jessee Lawyer is back in the kitchen and says folks can order many of their old favorites, along with some menu updates. “It feels like home again. I got my start in here as a fry cook and worked my way up to chef,” Lawyer said.
The restaurant plans to start with just dinner for five days a week and gradually gear up for more hours, including lunch service.
Melincoff says they experienced many of Burlington’s struggles, including the pandemic slowdown and issues with homelessness, drugs, and theft. But with their return, he envisions a healthy and vibrant downtown. “I believe in Burlington long-term, and it’s a great building, and it’s an iconic location. We were open for 42 years and felt like we could add value back to the community and to, you know, help make the street be alive again with our patios,” Melincoff said.
For many, the restaurant was always a part of their trip to Burlington. “Whenever we’d come up here, usually around the holidays, when the lights are up, we’d come to Sweetwaters for our family dinner and then go shopping,” said Brook Jette of Middlebury. “I feel like we’re losing Church Street a little bit, so it’s nice to have some of these staples here and returning here, and I hope it just promotes more of that.”
For years, the restaurant also offered a free Thanksgiving meal and a coat drive during the holidays. They said they plan to keep something like that going in the future.
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Dining and Cooking