Woody’s Grill & Tap, the cozy wood-fired pizza and beer joint tucked on Hemenway Street a short walk from Fenway Park and Symphony Hall, is closing its doors for good on Thursday night, May 28. Owners and staff have been quietly telling regulars that after nearly 30 years in the neighborhood, the spot that felt like a second living room for students and longtime residents alike is on its final round.
As reported by Boston.com, a restaurant worker confirmed that the Hemenway Street mainstay would shut down after Thursday night service. Staff did not immediately share further details about the decision with the outlet.
Owners Cite Rising Costs And Exhaustion
Co-owners JoAnn Cassidy and Rich Guthrie, who have been involved since Woody’s opened in 1997 and took full ownership in 2011, told The Boston Globe that a pileup of financial pressures finally caught up with them. They pointed to rising prices for supplies, higher rent and utilities, and pandemic-era loans that made staying open harder every year. "It was a labor of love, but it was also a 30-year struggle," Cassidy said, describing the toll of long hours and constant upkeep.
A Neighborhood Living Room
For decades, Woody’s has been treated as a neighborhood anchor in the East Fens. Community paper Fenway News described the spot as a stalwart of the area, and the restaurant’s own site lists its address at 58 Hemenway St. with evening hours that turned it into a regular stop for students, concertgoers and marathon spectators.
Why A Sale Didn’t Stick
According to the Globe, Cassidy and Guthrie did try to find a buyer for the business but ran into a wall when it came to the building itself. Any new owner would have had to tackle expensive renovations, on top of operating a restaurant with already thin margins. Faced with that combination of aging infrastructure and financial strain, the couple said closing was one of the only realistic options left.
Final Night And Farewells
Staff planned to fire up the oven for one last round of wood-fired pies and pour final beers on Thursday, May 28, a final service confirmed by Boston.com. Online, a Reddit thread picked up the news and quickly filled with memories, including one user who wrote, "Been going there since at least 2004," as regulars voiced hope that whatever comes next in the space will keep some of the low-key, communal feel that made Woody’s feel like home.
