Business

New Owner of Gates on Plan for Restaurant: ‘Best of the Old and Best of the New’

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The “new” Gates will offer classic and new American food, featuring a wood-fired oven and rotisserie as well as an open kitchen, with the overarching goal of restoring the iconic downtown restaurant to its place as the go-to family destination in New Canaan, the business’s new owner said. The restaurant will undergo extensive interior renovation through this summer with an eye on opening in early September, though the “basic locations of everything in restaurant are going to remain the same—they’re just going to get updated,” said Jay Luther, a town resident since 2003. “My objective is to keep it as Gates, it’s a great name—it has a lot of history and lot of awareness—and to contemporize the concept a bit,” Luther said. “Our objective is to create a cool environment that is very welcoming and that is contemporary—the best of the old and best of the new.”

Scores of current and former New Canaanites were reeling with the news last week that Gates, a Forest Street fixture since 1979, had been sold and would close. Owners Billy Auer and Jeb Swift thanked the community for its support as they moved toward their own retirement, and the Gates bar and restaurant were packed on a final night this past Sunday.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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Many New Canaanites by now have seen a rendering of the Midcentury Modern-inspired commercial building that John and Melissa Engel have planned for the lot at 215 Elm St. The architect on the project is Westport-based Frederick William Hoag. Some time after John Engel explained what he had in mind to a University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation professor, a document that included some truly fascinating concepts came in from students (see above). The Maryland architecture program been called the only one in the nation that includes professional Masters programs and related PhD-level studies in planning, preservation and real estate development within the same school. ***

Bill Egan, the newly hired principal of New Canaan High School, has gotten into the spirit of the job very quickly: At his formal introduction at the Board of Education meeting on Monday night, board member Sheri West astutely noted, Egan was sporting a NCHS Rams tie.

Around Town

SLIDESHOW: Last Call at Gates

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Sunday, April 26, 2015 marked the end of an era in New Canaan as Gates Restaurant—a fixture in town since 1979—served up its last meals. “What a wonderful town,” Gates owner Billy Auer told NewCanaanite.com during the final Sunday brunch. “We are very lucky to have had a restaurant in it.” “I’ve been crying all week long” co-owner Ceal Swift said. “When I lock the door for the last time, and say goodnight to Frank’s picture in the urinal, then I’ll know it’s over.”

Business

Letter from Billy and Jeb at Gates: ‘We Would Like to Thank the Wonderful People of New Canaan’

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We are pleased to announce the sale of Gates Restaurant to a privately held restaurant group based in New Canaan. The plan is to keep the ‘Gates’ name and update the interior design and menu offer. We feel good about passing on such an important part of our lives to a locally based group who understands and really cares about the role Gates plays in the community. We would like to thank the wonderful people of New Canaan for making the past 35 years the most enjoyable experience. We couldn’t have done this without all the love and support we received from the New Canaan families.

Business

Gates Restaurant to Close Sunday; New Canaan Institution Has Been Sold

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Gates, a restaurant that since its opening in 1979 has become synonymous with downtown New Canaan, has been sold and will close Sunday, according to the staff at the Forest Street establishment. The restaurant’s owners—Billy Auer and Jeb and Ceal Swift—informed the staff Monday, said Ash Raci, a bartender at Gates for more than four years. “It was kind of a shock for everybody,” Raci said. The restaurant will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner Sunday, then will close while interior renovations are done for a new restaurant, he confirmed. Swift and Auer had met when they worked together in the mid-70s at Boodles Bistro in Greenwich.