Popular Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen Closes Down In Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ — After more than a decade of serving the community, Morristown's Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen has officially closed its doors for good.

Located on South Street, the American fine-dining restaurant was helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Cannon. The eatery featured a raw bar, a rathskeller, and a lounge, all housed within Morristown's iconic Vail Mansion, a historic 1917 landmark.

"It is with great sadness today that I am forced to announce the closing of Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen after ten amazing years," Cannon wrote on Instagram announcing the closure. "It has been an honor to call the Vail Mansion my home these past years."

In his statement, Cannon attributed the closure to a shift in dining habits since the COVID-19 pandemic, along with an unsuccessful attempt to sell the restaurant.

New Year's Eve marked the eatery's final night of operation.

"We had sought to find a buyer for the restaurant this past year and a deal was in place to take effect in December. The purchaser backed out at the eleventh hour and we find ourselves with no choice but to say goodbye," Cannon wrote.

Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen opened in 2014 and quickly garnered numerous accolades, earning recognition from both local and national publications.

"I am very proud and humbled that we have been ranked in the top 25 Restaurants in the state by NJ Monthly each and every year and have been recipients of Awards from the Wine Spectator and Esquire Magazine and features in the New York Times," Cannon wrote.

In a public statement, Morristown Mayor Dougherty revealed that he was not informed in advance about the restaurant's closure. He also expressed frustration over customers being left with outstanding, valid gift cards.

"We hope that the owner does the right thing by providing refunds," Dougherty said.