By Katy Savage
After 25 years, Little Harry’s restaurant in Rutland is permanently closed.
The owners announced the closure in a Facebook post on June 1.
“We are looking forward to the next chapter of life” the post read. “Thank you for your constant support and friendship.”
Co-owner Jack Mangan said he was retiring in an interview.
“We’ve been here for a long time and have been pretty popular,” Mangan, 65 said. “It’s bittersweet. It’s time to retire and go on to different things.”
Little Harry’s served pad-thai and pasta as well Latin and Jamaican-style food. Around 300 people commented on the Facebook post, calling the restaurant a “staple” and “the best restaurant in Rutland.” Some wished the owners good luck in their retirement.
Mangan temporarily closed Little Harry’s in March due to a kitchen staff shortage. Mangan said the lack of help influenced his decision to retire.
“I don’t want that to sound like the reason we closed,” he said. “That’s not the case. It definitely helped the decision.”
Mangan owned the restaurant with Trip Pearce, who also owns and operates Harry’s Cafe in Mount Holly. Mangan confirmed Harry’s Cafe will remain open. Mangan said there were no plans for the Little Harry’s building.
Rutland Mayor David Allaire said he heard rumors there might be another business coming to Little Harry’s but he hadn’t heard anything official.
“I think he got to the point where he’d been there 25 years, he decided to just hang it up and retire and perhaps someone else could come along and take it over,” Allaire said.
Rutland Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Brennan Duffy expects to fill the vacant business on West Street soon.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re losing a long-term restaurant from downtown and we’re hoping to fill that space with another restaurant soon,” Duffy said.
