SHREWSBURY – The Ground Round will make a grand return to Shrewsbury.
According to a signage permit – and confirmed by local entrepreneur Joseph Shea – The Ground Round will be coming to 261-271 Boston Turnpike (Route 9). Bauhinia – the Chinese-Japanese restaurant that currently occupies the building – is expected to close.
The Ground Round has a long history in Shrewsbury. The restaurant operated at 225 Boston Turnpike – now the site of a Walgreens – before closing in 2004. Prior to becoming The Ground Round, the building was the home of Howard Johnson’s and the Squires Lounge.
“You would be hard-pressed to find someone in Shrewsbury who does not have the fondest memories of The Ground Round. Locals – and not just in Shrewsbury – bring up how much they miss the restaurant. With a quick Google search you will find The Ground Round in many articles as one of the most missed restaurants of our past,” Shea told the Community Advocate.
“We have an incredible dining room and having the family atmosphere is absolutely a big part of what we intend to be. Myself and many other locals recall going to The Ground Round for family dinners, after practice, games, events or gatherings. It was the place to get together with friends and family,” he continued.
The location could open as soon as Jan. 1.
Shea went before the Select Board on Aug. 13 to get an alcohol license, victualler license, and entertainment license. The fact that the restaurant would be The Ground Round wasn’t disclosed at the meeting, but Shea alluded to turning the space into a family-friendly restaurant.
“We are looking to build a family-style restaurant and try to bring the idea of family dinners back, family nights out back. We’re looking to utilize a little bit of today’s modern technology and efficiency with a hint of nostalgia,” Nachi Souza Shea, the future manager of the restaurant, said at the meeting. “It’s a great location.”
The Shrewsbury restaurant will be an official The Ground Round location. Joseph Shea has purchased the rights and trademarks to the company name, and going forward, the “pulse” of The Ground Round will be based in Shrewsbury.
There are four other restaurants in the U.S.; the closest one is located in Ohio.
Joseph Shea owns Pure Source Water Systems, a Shrewsbury-based company, and formerly owned CrossFit 1727. Nachi Souza Shea has restaurant experience and was formerly the youngest holder of a liquor license in Worcester. The Select Board unanimously approved of all licenses.
“We want to bring an incredible product to Shrewsbury,” said Joseph Shea.
