Williamsburg tavern revival eyed by Memorial Day

WILLIAMSBURG — Whether under the title of Burgy Brews, Brewmaster’s Tavern or the Gross Williams Hotel, 4 Main St. has been the community’s tavern right in the heart of town, across the street from what is now Florence Bank, Tangle Chocolate and the Williamsburg Market.

Over the past two years, taps have run dry and the windows have been dark since Exhibit A, a former Framingham-based brewery, bought the property. But that may change by Memorial Day, said Interim Town Administrator Elizabeth Van Iderstine.

The town is expected to hold a public hearing on April 28, at 3:30 p.m., to vote on whether to grant pouring licenses for three classes of alcohol. The site has been permitted to produce beers, but the new owners are seeking permission from the town and state to pour their products, including wine and spirits.

While the owner did not answer the door or respond for comment, Van Iderstine is confident the community will approve the licenses at the public hearing.

She said the business already has a front-of-house manager hired and are waiting to hire more staff once the permits are further along.

“People are I think the most upset that the building has been sitting there empty,” said Van Iderstine. “They’ve been brewing and producing beer out of there for the last few years, but from the public side of things, it was one of the community gathering spaces and they haven’t had that. So the community is really eager to have that back.”

When the site was purchased at a foreclosure auction in April 2024 for $682,500, Exhibit A moved from their Framgham property to the Williamsburg site that features a pub, restaurant and two-story brewery. They were attracted to the site since it already had equipment in place.

At the time, Exhibit A also expressed hopes of being a community venue, with the possibility of staging comedy shows, beer dinners, live music and artisan markets, as well as get-togethers, family parties, weddings, fundraisers and celebrations.

Before the purchase by Exhibit A, Burgy Brews opened in the fall of 2021 at the former Brewmaster’s Tavern. The building originally began as a hotel built by Gross Williams in 1812. It was rebuilt in 1873 following a fire that year, withstanding the flood of 1874.

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