Beloved Hartford Restaurant Prepares to Close Its Doors

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) – It’s the end of an era. A beloved Hartford restaurant is set to close its doors.

J Restaurant and Bar will be closed Wednesday evening.

People went to the restaurant to say goodbye and enjoy a last meal.

“It’s a bittersweet, surreal feeling, you know,” said Jordan Dikegoros, owner of J Restaurant and Bar.

For decades, it has been a place where countless memories have been made and delicious meals have been served.

“We had a record week last week, we broke all kinds of records. People came from everywhere,” Dikegoros continued.

The Washington Street restaurant is located directly across from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. A 900-space parking garage will eventually take its place.

“I’m going to miss it. I bring my family here and we love coming here,” said Glastonbury resident Mark Ambrose.

From its annual New Year’s Eve dance to distributing meals to healthcare workers during the pandemic, the restaurant has done a lot of good for the community over the years.

“It’s not just about taking and taking. It’s also about giving. And that’s what Jordan and the team and the restaurant have done for the community here. It’s giving,” Ambrose continued.

The restaurant also served as a retirement home for hospital staff.

“It’s a place where we can step away to breathe, collect our thoughts and spend time with our own colleagues outside of work,” said Windsor resident William Lee.

The restaurant’s servers say there will be a lot of things we will miss.

“I think what I’ll miss the most is the fact that it feels like family here,” Alex Pace said.

Dikegoros hopes to eventually open a new location further down the street.

“We don’t say goodbye, we say see you later. We’ll come back,” he said.

He is studying potential locations near the hospital as well as in the suburbs.

The restaurant will host a few pop-up events during the summer.

They will be open until 9:00 p.m. Tuesday evening and again Wednesday.