O’Connor’s Restaurant to be sold, as long-time owners to retire
Photo | Timothy Doyle
O'Connor's Restaurant & Bar in Worcester
The husband and wife who have owned O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar since 1989, turning the eatery into a cornerstone of Worcester's Irish-American community, will sell the restaurant in August and retire.
Brendan and Claire O’Connor on Sunday told WBJ of their intention to retire and sell their iconic West Boylston Street restaurant to Dennis and Jennifer Maxwell and their son Kyle. The deal, of which financial terms were not disclosed, is expected to close in early August.
The matter will go before the Worcester License Commission during its Thursday meeting, according to the commission’s agenda. The transfer will then have to be approved by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The new owners will keep the name O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar. The Maxwells’ company, Carlow Clove Inc., which is registered in Marlborough, was created in December for the purpose of operating the restaurant at the O’Connor’s location, 1160 West Boylston St. in Worcester.
“O’Connor’s Restaurant and Bar is a beloved institution in Worcester, and we are excited to build upon its legacy,” Kyle Maxwell said in a press release about the sale. “Worcester is a special place with a solid sense of community, and we are delighted to become a more integral part of it and continue the grand welcoming tradition of O’Connor’s.”
Brendan O’Connnor told WBJ if the sale proceeds, current management and staff would be unaffected and he would remain for a time to guide the transition to new ownership, before he and Claire retire.
“I am nothing without my staff, many of whom have been with me for years,” he said.
Brendan and Claire O’Connor moved to Worcester from Ireland in 1988 and opened O’Connor’s in 1989. As its popularity grew, the restaurant expanded multiple times.
Once the sale is complete, the O’Connors intend to retire, although Brendan will help the Maxwells during a transition period.
“While retirement is bittersweet, we are thrilled and honored that the Maxwell family, along with their managing partner, Michael Nelson, are looking to maintain the tradition of O’Connor’s,” Brendan O’Connor said. “We are confident that the Maxwell family and Michael Nelson will become a beloved part of the community and by the restaurant staff and patrons alike.”
Through an entity registered to the O’Connors, the couple has owned the property at 1160 West Boylston St. since 1989, when they purchased it for $325,000, according to the Worcester Registry of Deeds. The property is assessed by the City of Worcester at $1.2 million.
“When we opened the restaurant, we wanted to create a place for people to celebrate and mark all of life’s milestones – happy and sad,” said O’Connor on Saturday.
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Hopefully this will be a smooth transition and that the tradition of O Connors will remain in tact. My family and I love being together here celebrating birthdays, anniversaries or just time together in a wonderful welcoming place
I wish Mr and Mrs OConnor the best in their retirement. I will miss seeing himself
All the best
Mairead Mcgillicuddy Johnson and family
Such a wonderful places, where so many memories were made!
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