3 restaurants have closed in recent days in Worcester's Canal District

Tatum Goetting, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The District Wood Fired Kitchen on Harding Street.
The District Wood Fired Kitchen on Harding Street.

WORCESTER ― Three restaurants in the Canal District have closed their doors in recent days.

The District Wood Fired Kitchen announced Tuesday on social media that it has closed. The owners of the restaurant, at 90 Harding St., said they would be exploring "new concepts" for the future and hope to reopen the location later this year.

District Kitchen closure announcement, posted Wednesday.
District Kitchen closure announcement, posted Wednesday.

In the meantime, gift cards for The District are redeemable at Off the Rails, 90 Commercial St.

Chris Besaw and Cliff Rucker, the managing partners of Off The Rails, opened The District in 2022 in the former location of the Compass Tavern, a nightclub-style bar.

Not far away, on Green Street, the signs have been removed at Blackstone Herbs & Martini Bar.

The owner, Gian Ranucci, said when contacted by text that the business is undergoing a new concept, not a permanent closure.

Blackstone opened just under a year ago as a restaurant offering food and drink flights as well as CBD products for sale in "childproof" bags, with no on-site consumption.

Ranucci and his wife, Bryanna, own a similar restaurant in Rhode Island, and also operate Dream Catcher Hemp Farm in Dudley.

Chef Darien Moronta, center, cuts the ceremonial ribbon with Blackstone Herbs & Martini Bar owners Gian and Bryanna Ranucci Feb. 1, 2023. City Manager Eric D. Batista, right, attended the Green St. opening along with other city officials.
Chef Darien Moronta, center, cuts the ceremonial ribbon with Blackstone Herbs & Martini Bar owners Gian and Bryanna Ranucci Feb. 1, 2023. City Manager Eric D. Batista, right, attended the Green St. opening along with other city officials.

The Worcester restaurant was in the former home of The Hangover Pub, which closed in September 2022.

Last week, Lock 50 an award-winning restaurant known for small plates, announced on social media that it had closed; the announcement came less than four weeks after former owner Ed Russo revealed on social media that he had sold the restaurant in October.

Grocery store Maker to Main, announced it would be closing permanently this past weekend.

Last weekend, Maker to Main, a farm-to-table grocery store at 162 Harding St., announced permanently closed, just four months after moving to the area from its previous location on Main Street.

Owner Lynn Cheney told the T&G that debt, combined with insufficient foot traffic, had led to the closure.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Canal District restaurant closings: The District, Lock 50

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