WESTPORT, CT – Just days after declaring the Black Duck Cafe would close its doors after 40 years in business, the iconic Westport bar announced Friday it will remain open after all. The bar was originally planned to close Sunday following one last hurrah with its loyal customers.
“We are beyond pleased to announce that after many days of discussions with our creditors, landlord and investors, the Duck has been able to secure a financial package which will allow us to continue operations, hopefully for the next 40 years,” a post made Friday on the bar’s Facebook page reads.
The post announcing the good news spread like wildfire, garnering over 400 likes and more than 170 comments from thankful fans in the span of approximately an hour.
The Black Duck team expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support they received over the past few days from loyal patrons and fans, which they described as “deeply moving and gratifying.” The team will celebrate and show their appreciation with all-day happy hour prices on Sunday.
See also: Black Duck Cafe To Close After 40 Years In Westport
On Tuesday, many longtime customers were rocked by the bar’s sudden announcement it would be shutting down. Located on Riverside Avenue, the Black Duck Cafe offers waterfront dining on the Saugatuck River beneath Interstate 95, where customers can literally pull their boat right up to the restaurant and enjoy wings, seafood, steak, one of the Duck’s famous stuffed burgers or just a cold beer or two.
In 2011, the bar received a visit from celebrity chef Guy Fieri for his television show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Chef Tim Miller’s recipe for Steak Au Poivre can even be found on the Food Network website.
Less than 24 hours after the closing was announced, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to keep the Duck afloat. The page has since been taken down. On Wednesday morning, the page had already raised over $2,500 of a $100,000 goal in less than 12 hours.
“It is devastating to think that we won’t be part of Westport and a part of your lives anymore,” the page read. “If our small barge on Riverside Avenue becomes empty, so many of you, our guests, will no longer have your go-to place to go to, so we the employees are doing everything we can to keep it going.”
Described on its website as “the friendliest bar in town,” Black Duck Cafe is famous for its high-quality menu and bar, as well as atmosphere that hearkens back to a time gone by in Westport. It is also known as a place you could go to hear a local band or even some karaoke while interacting with the regular customers.
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Photo credit: RJ Scofield
