Townsman Shuts Down This Week After Three Years

Townsman (120 Kingston St., Downtown Boston) will close for good on Tuesday, July 3. Chef Matt Jennings will move on to pursue “new prospects and opportunities” after three years running the restaurant alongside his wife, Kate, focusing on seasonal cooking that tackled New England from crudo and clam chowder to terrines and roasted duck breast.

Jennings announced the closure on Townsman’s social media pages Sunday evening, expressing thanks for the experience of serving the city for three years.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to blend our thoughtful sourcing, proper technique and a warmth of service into a memorable experience for each and every guest,” the post read. “Our team is so proud of our collective achievements, the relationships we have built and the many happy mouths we have fed.”

The post went on to indicate that Jennings is “excited to craft a life that is more thoughtful, healthy and sustainable for himself and his family.”

Jennings opened Townsman in February of 2015, after he and Kate shut down their Providence, RI, restaurant Farmstead, Inc. to move home to Boston. At the time, Townsman was one of the most anticipated openings of the year and went on to win Eater Boston’s 2015 Restaurant of the Year award. Jennings has captured national attention with multiple nominations for James Beard awards over the years, some prior to Townsman but most recently in 2018 for his recently published cookbook.

In the three years that he’s run Townsman, the restaurant has evolved, but the core of his efforts remained the same.

“We’ve always been grounded in wanting to create dishes that are product-driven and seasonal, and most importantly, delicious,” he previously told Eater. “Some of the intricacies that we started off with have subsided, and we’ve been able to really focus ourselves on the integrity of dishes, and I think that’s really important.”

Over the years, Kate and Matt Jennings have worked with a whole host of talented chefs and food and beverage experts, including Brian Young (Harvest, Post 390), pastry chef Meghan Thompson (Steel & Rye), and Menton alum Meredith Gallagher, among others.

Catch Townsman before it closes for good after service on July 3.

Bill Addison/Eater

• Boston Restaurant Townsman to Close This Week [BG]
• Matthew Jennings’ Townsman Will Close for Good [BM]
• Townsman Turns One and Finds Its Neighborhood Groove [EBOS]
• Townsman Coverage on Eater [EBOS]