A Harvard Square Brewpub Will Close After Nearly 30 Years

More change comes to Harvard Square as longtime beer destination John Harvard’s prepares to close at the end of the month. The brewpub-turned-pub will pour its final beers on May 30, ending a 27-year run serving the Cambridge community.

First opened in 1992, John Harvard’s operated its own brewing system until early 2016, when it switched to serving mainly local beers. The subterranean restaurant and bar also served appetizers like wings and fries, plus sandwiches, burgers, and salads.

In 2010, hospitality company Centerplate began running corporate operations for all John Harvard’s locations, which includes Framingham; Providence, Rhode Island (which goes by Union Station Brewery); Ellicottville, New York; and Hancock, Massachusetts. Those locations will remain open.

The restaurant provided a statement to Boston.com that read in part: “It has been a honor and pleasure being part of the Harvard Square community and we are grateful to everyone in the community for supporting us over this period of time.”

This is the latest in a string of major changes to the dining and drinking landscape of Harvard Square. Longtime local establishments Crema Cafe, Sweet, Tealuxe, and Night Market have closed recently, and the iconic Curious George retail store — the only one of its kind in the world — will relocate to Central Square, where it may add a cafe component. As several standbys as have exited the square, newcomers have moved in, including New York-based Milk Bar and D.C.-based &pizza, with New York-based coffee shop Bluestone Lane making moves to open in the former Crema space soon.

• John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House [Official Site]
• John Harvard’s Is Closing Its Cambridge Location at the End of May [BM]
• Longtime Brew Pub John Harvard’s Will Soon Close Its Cambridge Outpost [Boston.com]