Worcester’s biggest comeback of 2026 reverses a wicked bad restaurant trend

O'Connor's Bar and Restaurant, Worcester, Mass.

On Friday, Worcester’s original craft brewery reopened its doors after shuttering its flagship taproom for renovations. The revamped taproom has since doubled in size, increased its number of taps and created a vibrant new menu.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Fortunately for the food scene on Shrewsbury Street, Wormtown was only out of the picture for about eight months. The same can’t be said for many other businesses around the city and the state.

We’ve lost too many restaurants. We’ve seen too many awesome businesses closing.

Worcester’s restaurant scene has especially taken some hits. I was shocked to see a popular bakery like Queen’s Cups close last year. I’m still saddened that Redemption Rock Brewing Company closed its doors at the end of 2024. Not to mention Lock 50, Russo Italian Restaurant, Glazy Susan and Toro Loco.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Other businesses, like Flying Rhino, have been sold and morphed into new restaurants. I still need to try Mercado, the Peruvian/Ecuadorian restaurant that opened there.

I still can’t believe we lost an iconic Irish pub like O’Connor’s, which announced six days before St. Patrick’s Day that it would not reopen after a pipe burst.

It’s not just Worcester, either. Earlier this week, Framingham Bakery closed for good after 109 years in business, marking the end of an era in MetroWest.

We’ve been losing too many of our favorite places. So when Wormtown reopened its doors Friday, it provided a much-needed smiley face for an industry that’s been frowning a little too much.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Wormtown was still around. You could still find Be Hoppy in most places. But the flagship taproom’s temporary closure created a conspicuous void right at the heart of Worcester’s dining scene.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

It just felt like we’d lost another piece of Worcester.

That was until Friday, when Wormtown revealed to the world that it had turned its old production area into its new bar and dining room.

Beyond that, it’s a destination that feels worth visiting. Wormtown announced this week that the Worcester taproom has five beers you can’t get anywhere else.

The food menu is off to a great start as well. Wormtown now has a killer double smashburger, fantastic ragu and one of the best ice cream sandwiches I’ve had in Worcester.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

The evolution of Worcester’s craft beer scene

Wormtown has shown that businesses can bounce back — as long as they evolve. It’s something that three breweries in Worcester have shown.

Just look at Double Down Brewery, which is attached to Peppercorn’s on Park Avenue. Earlier this year, it closed its Worcester taproom to focus on production. You can still get all its beers at Peppercorn’s. Double Down also serves beer at Mount Wachusett.

Then there’s Greater Good Imperial Brewing, which joined Barrel One Collective in 2025. Joining up with breweries like Harpoon has given the Worcester brewery additional resources.

Brie fondue. A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Now, Greater Good can use Harpoon’s Boston facility to crank out its flagship beers while using its Worcester location to focus on smaller, creative batches.

Wormtown has taken a different route. In 2024, it was purchased by Hendler Family Brewing Company, the parent company of Jack’s Abby.

Since then, all of Wormtown’s brewing operations have been moved to Hendler’s Framingham facility.

That left Wormtown with a lot of extra space that had previously been used for brewing and storage.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

It would have been easy to bail on the Shrewsbury Street taproom and focus on distribution. Wormtown has a solid reputation. Be Hoppy is one of the best-known beers in the state.

But for once, we got one of our favorite spaces back. Early signs point to it being better than ever.

This won’t happen to every business we’ve grown fond of. But this time, we get to raise our glasses once again and celebrate.

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

The new crag rangoon dip. A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

A sampling of the new food menu. A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

The ice cream sandwich is one of the new dessert items. A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Dino nuggets are one of the new appetizers on the food menu. A look inside Wormtown Brewery's newly renovated taproom on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester