Longtime Woodbury Restaurant Up For Sale, May Close After Nearly 70 Years

WOODBURY, CT — A nearly 70-year-old restaurant is on the market in Woodbury and may close soon unless a buyer is found, a spokesperson confirmed this week.

The Charcoal Chef, located at 670 Main Street North, first opened its doors in 1956.

A spokesperson for the restaurant confirmed in an email Thursday the restaurant is currently on the market, and the last day for the restaurant under its current owner is currently scheduled for Aug. 31.

According to WFSB Eyewitness News 3, Owner Judy Doran, the daughter of the restaurant's founders, is set to retire at the end of August but hopes to find a buyer who appreciates the way the Charcoal Chef currently operates.

A real estate listing for the property notes the "thriving, family-run restaurant and adjacent residence" have been under unified ownership since the 1950s.

Set on 4.95 acres, the 5,500-square-foot commercial property is currently listed at $1.2 million, according to the real estate listing.

The Charcoal Chef was first opened by Robert Sanderson and his wife, Vee, as a 1950s-style diner on what was then farmland, according to the restaurant's website.

One of the few stops for truckers and travelers on Route 6 in the days before Interstate 84 was built, the business has since expanded to a still family-run restaurant that seats over 100 customers and serves up a wide variety of comfort food, as well as inventive cocktails.

The iconic eatery is one of the only restaurants in Connecticut that still cooks on charcoal, Kingsford charcoal to be exact, according to the website.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers dine in, takeout and curbside pickup options.

As of July 1, the restaurant is currently closed for a summer break but will reopen July 9, according to the spokesperson.