By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — When one door closes, another one opens. That saying holds true, at least, for restaurants in downtown Westport.

The latest to close is the Original Pancake House, which opened its doors in January 2023 and shut for good Monday.

The newest is Finalmente Trattoria, which opened Tuesday at 165 Post Road East, with the same name as an earlier eatery, but with new ownership after a major remodeling project.

The pancake restaurant closed “due to lingering issues affecting the hospitality industry,” according to a sign posted on its door at 43 Main St. overlooking Parker Harding Plaza. 

“Thank you to the Westport community for the friendships, connection and support over the past three years,” the sign also reads. 

Original Pancake House has several locations on the West Coast, the Midwest and New York, but no other restaurants in Connecticut. The closest of the chain’s restaurants is in White Plains, N.Y., and it remains open.

Another downtown restaurant, Mexicue, 38 Main St., closed last December after two years.

And Rye Ridge Deli, 159 Main St. closed last year, and was replaced by another deli, called “159 Main Street,” which has also closed. The deli’s location was the former site of a downtown landmark, Oscar’s Deli, which was in business for more than 40 years, closing in 2016.

But the losses have been balanced out by recent and future additions to the downtown dining scene.

Sushi Jin, a Japanese restaurant offering a blend of traditional Japanese cuisine with modern flavors, opened in March. Located off Elm Street, it can be accessed from a stairway at 44 Main St. 

And under construction at 190 Main St. is Anan II, a partner restaurant to Nômade down the street. The new restaurant, which will feature a Vietnamese-French fusion menu, is expected to open this summer.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.