Catamount Glassware and tap house close doors

BENNINGTON — The town has lost another longtime business and eatery in the recently dubbed "Four Corners North" area of town.

Catamount Glassware and the Tap House at 309 County St. has closed, the owners announced late last week.

"After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close The Tap House and Catamount Glassware, effective immediately," according to a post on its website. "This is not a decision we have come to lightly, and that is due in part to the wonderful support we have received from our community over the past 50 years of doing business in Bennington. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for making our small businesses so hard to leave behind."

The closure follows announcement of the pending closure next month of the nearby Jensen's Restaurant at 332 North St.

Catamount Glassware owner Adam Volpi could not be reached Monday for additional comment.

"The past couple of years have not been easy for any business owner," the announcement stated, "and we are thankful to all who helped us weather this storm. We would be nothing today without our wonderful staff, and we owe a great deal of our successes to their hard work and dedication."

Another business owner, Jonah Spivak of Hawkins House at North and County streets, also participated in promoting the Four Corners North area, along with the owners of the Bennington Potters and Volpi.

"I feel a little bit sad, because it feels like the end of an era," Spivak said Monday. "I am certainly sad about this, and wish Adam and his family the best. I am going to miss it."

"We do wish Adam and Amy the best of luck in their future endeavors," said Matt Harrington, executive director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce.

While Catamount Glassware was established in the 1970s by Volpi's parents, the late Alain and Irene Karyo.

, the Tap House at Catamount Glass opened in 2015 under Adam Volpi and his wife, Amy.

A 2014 Banner article prior to the tavern opening said in part, "Catamount is working with the Hawkins House and Bennington Potters to market the businesses on County and North streets, as ‘Four Corners North.’ Since collaborating on Fallapalooza activities, the three County Street businesses have agreed to continue hosting collective events and specials."

"We have made the decision to close our businesses not to run from the difficulties of being small business owners, which has always been a joyful challenge for us, but to run towards so many other things," according to the Catamount announcement. "We are looking forward to spending more time with family and less time worrying about glassware shipments in a world of delayed shipping times. We are looking forward to relaxing together without thinking about pricing and materials and constant innovation. We will miss so many aspects of running our small businesses, but we are ready for this change."

The glassware business had operated in a mill that dates to 1901. The company designed glassware and specialized in screen printing its products, as well as in creating custom glassware requested by clients.

The taproom was established after a renovation/expansion project from 2014 to 2015.

Jim Therrien writes for Vermont News and Media, including the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer. Email [email protected]

Jim Therrien writes for the Vermont News and Media newspapers, including the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer.