Wegmans Pulls Plug on the Pub

As COVID-19 continues to force the closure of restaurants, bars and in-store eateries around the country, Wegmans of Rochester, N.Y., has shuttered its 12 Pub locations, in part to focus on meeting the increased demand for meal solutions in its stores.

“We know those who love our Pub restaurants will be disappointed to learn that we have made the decision not to reopen our 12 Pubs across the company,” Deana Percassi, Wegmans director of public relations told WGB, in an email.

Photograph courtesy of Wegmans

Enjoyed by customers for its classic Irish pub ambiance, craft beer selections and a food menu that featured ingredients direct from Wegmans’ markets, Wegmans' Pubs were popular dining destinations in a dozen stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

At the start of the pandemic, Wegmans initially closed the Pubs temporarily. The permanent closure may be in part due to a need to pivot and redirect resources.

“We are focused on applying our culinary expertise to the increasing demand for fast, casual meal solutions available in our stores for pickup and through delivery,” Percassi said. “All our Pub employees have been offered other immediate opportunities at Wegmans.”

Officials at the company did not comment with regard to the fate of its other in-store restaurant concepts, including its Market Cafes, the Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar Amore by Wegmans, Next Door by Wegmans and The Burger Bar.

Currently, Amore by Wegmans in Rochester is “temporarily closed,” according to the company website. Next Door by Wegmans, also in the grocer’s hometown, is open for indoor and outdoor patio seating from Wednesday to Saturday.

Wegmans' The Burger Bar locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina are all open for business. Its two locations in Maryland are listed as “temporarily closed.”