BRUNSWICK, Maine — Joshua’s Restaurant and Tavern opened in the '90s along Brunswick's Maine Street and has been serving up American cuisine and refreshing brews ever since.
"We were opening on the tail of my grandmother, my father, and my mother’s restaurant here since 1956,” TJ Siatras, who runs the business with wife Cheri, told NEWS CENTER Maine
Since then, he said it has been a challenging journey through a recession and pandemic. But he said they've been rewarded, too, seeing their establishment evolve for the better.
“What started off as a tiny little sandwich and beer joint grew until we occupied the entire building,” TJ Siatras said.
Joshua's became a local spot for nearby Bowdoin College students and others to grab a drink—and even fall in love.
“We’ve been responsible for a lot of marriages," Siatras said. "Employees that have met each other and ended up getting married, customers who’ve met each other here ended up getting married.”
The tavern bounded back from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but TJ and Cheri Siatras say they've decided to close the restaurant Sept. 28 and will take time to focus on their personal lives as empty nesters, now that their daughter has left for college.
“We’re terrified," he added. "It’s exciting, but this has been our safety net for a long time.”
Over that time, TJ said he has gained a dedicated staff that’s more like family than co-workers. Mary Coombs has been a server and bartender at Joshua's for seven years.
“Jen’s been here for 19, Samantha for 10, Nicole has been here for 10 years, Michael in the kitchen has been here for 24 years," Coombs said. "That says something about the Siatras family that everybody rallies around.”
It’s that deep connection that flows through Joshua's like the spirits on tap that’s kept her and others here so long.
“This is our home," Coombs added.
Siatras said there has already been some interest in the restaurant and hopes someone will step forward to buy the business.
The tavern is named after Civil War hero and former Maine Gov. Joshua Chamberlain, who graduated from Brunswick's Bowdoin College.