Family-Owned Restaurant Closes In Simsbury After Six Years

SIMSBURY, CT — A local eatery has recently closed after six years of "connecting neighbors and friends through food."

Ana's Kitchen, which was located at 244 Farms Village Road, West Simsbury, recently shuttered, according to a social media post by one of the owner's daughters and a prominent restaurant employee.

Simsbury resident and Ana's mainstay Helena Houlis, whose mother founded Ana's, wrote on July 27 that Ana's Kitchen is closing in a long, goodbye message on Facebook.

While the restaurant industry has struggled in recent years due to post-pandemic inflation and staffing issues, Ana's owners did not give an official reason for the closing.

Houlis said she will be teaching pilates full-time after a long period of mixed emotions since she and her family moved to Connecticut from Brazil seven years ago.

"Ana’s is a place filled with laughter, comfort, friends, family, and love—not to say there weren’t hard times because there definitely were. Difficult, frustrating, exhausting, and honestly, infuriating times," Houlis wrote.

"But the amazing memories we’ve created truly outweigh the bad."

Ana's specialty was breakfast and lunch, featuring sandwiches, soups, pasta, and salad dishes. All dishes had a Brazilian-American flair.

It also served a variety of cakes, cupcakes, and pies for dessert.

Ana’s Kitchen, according to its website, was founded by Ana Oliveira and Jeff Hoberman in January 2018.

Oliveira's daughters, including Houlis, played a major role in the eatery's operations.

In her goodbye post, Houlis thanked all of its customers, including those who complained about the food or, even, the displaying of a Pride flag in the restaurant.

"Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has supported us along the way, even the difficult ones—the ones who complained about their grilled cheese being 'too grilled,' or argued that our pancakes were 'too fluffy,' the woman who kindly informed us we’d all be going to hell for displaying a Pride flag, or even the lady who was very distraught we cooked our mushrooms with sage," wrote Houlis.

"You all helped us grow personally and professionally, and to the 99% of wonderful customers we gained along the way, we owe it all to you."

To read Helen Houlis' full goodbye message, click on this link.