20 Years After Bankruptcy, This Iconic Restaurant Returns To MA

SHREWSBURY, MA — A beloved restaurant chain made its return to Massachusetts this year, opening its first new store in more than 20 years after the business filed for bankruptcy, according to multiple reports.

The Ground Round recently opened a new location in Shrewsbury, the same town where the company was founded in 1969. At its height, the company had more than 200 locations across the country.

According to a Food Republic report, the chain's ownership changed four times throughout the 1980s and 1990s before the company eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2004. Since then, the chain has closed all but four locations.

The opening of the Shrewsbury locations marks the Ground Round's triumphant return to Massachusetts. Whether it's the complimentary peanuts and popcorn at the table to ice cream served in a plastic baseball cap, owner Joe Shea told WCVB he's working to bring back the fan favorites.

"We just dropped the cinnamon dippers, which are a huge nostalgic item," Shea told the station. "There will be a lot of items people remember as well as some new items."

According to the company's website, the "re-imagined and reinvented" Ground Round seeks to honor its legacy while catering to a modern dining experience.

"It’s a place where you can relive fond childhood memories while savoring a thoughtfully prepared, high-quality meal," the restaurant's website states. "It’s not just a comeback — it’s a revival, a testament to the enduring appeal of good food, good company and the comforting embrace of nostalgia, now served with an elevated twist."

The Shrewsbury restaurant is located at 271 Grafton St. Hours are 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. daily.