Mary Davis, left, co-organizer for the National Day of Prayer Team and Father Dennis of the Parish of St. Martin of Tours in Lakeville, Canaan, Norfolk and Winsted, were at the National Day of Prayer held outside the Salisbury Town Hall in front of the War Memorial on May 1.
Latest News
The Black Rabbit Bar & Grille in Lakeville will close Sunday, Nov. 8, after 15 years in business.
Madi Long
“We appreciate all your support over the 15 years and hope you will join us throughout the week for our last celebration,” read the announcement.
More than 30 people commented on the Facebook post, expressing sadness and wishing Chapman the best.
Neither the sign nor the Facebook post gave a reason for the closing. Chapman could not be reached for comment.
A message posted on the Black Rabbit’s door and Facebook page announces the Lakeville restaurant’s closing Sunday, Nov. 8, after 15 years in business.Madi Long
Kendra and Corey Chapman opened the restaurant at 2 Ethan Allen St. in 2011 with an emphasis on casual, family dining for local residents and weekend visitors alike.
Kendra had previously worked as the longtime innkeeper at The White Hart in Salisbury. Before opening the Black Rabbit, the couple operated Chapman’s Chowder House within the Sheffield Pub in Massachusetts, with Kendra cooking and Corey serving customers and handling the bookkeeping.
Lloyd Wallingford of Lakeville, a Black Rabbit regular from the beginning, had been a customer at each stop.
“I followed Kendra from the White Hart to the Chowder House in Sheffield to the Black Rabbit,” he said. “I was there when they were naming it.”
“It was the hang, where the working class hung out.”
The Black Rabbit’s original menu featured Kendra’s New England clam chowder, burgers, sandwiches and pizza. The space, previously occupied by Café Giulia, offered booths and outdoor seating.
For patron Terry Cowgill, knowing Chapman from her White Hart days gave him confidence in the restaurant.
“When The Rabbit first opened 15 years ago, I was sure it would be a success,” he said.
“As a local, I always got a warm feeling the minute I walked in the door and plopped myself down at the bar.”
Cowgill said he found friends and acquaintances among the regulars and met new people there, too.
The restaurant also participated in community events, including Salisbury’s annual Jumpfest. In a 2014 letter to the Journal, Chapman described sponsoring a Human Dog Sled team and welcoming customers who came in afterward to recount the races.
First Selectman Curtis Rand said he was very sorry to hear of the closing.
“I know it has been a valued part of our town,” he said, offering his thanks and best wishes. “We will miss the camaraderie, food and outdoor dining on warm nights.”
Chapman spoke about the financial pressures facing the business in October 2025, telling The Lakeville Journal the restaurant was losing money that year after previously being able to save enough to help cover the quieter winter months.
“Every year it seems like it’s getting tougher,” she said at the time.
As the restaurant prepares for closure, Wallingford expressed sadness tempered by concern for its owner.
“We’re all sad, but Kendra needs a break and she’s going to get it.”
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Cindy Burnstein, left, offered cabbage leaves in addition to candy during the Halloween event in Falls Village.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Main Street was closed between Railroad and Prospect streets, although town constable Denny Jacobs noted that access to early voting at the Senior Center had to remain open.
“So we have to let people through for that,” he said, adding that he thought it unlikely anyone would be voting on Halloween.
Falls Village resident Orion Carr wore a costume complete with a wheeled horse half and an arrow quiver where he stowed his candy.
One youngster’s chicken costume posed visibility problems. Jeff Tripp, seated outside his Main Street home with a bowl of candy, helped guide the child off the sidewalk.
“Okay, step coming up!”
Adults joined in the fun, too. Matt Gallagher wore an actual carved pumpkin on his head.
At the Center on Main, Recreation Commission members served cider and pizza to hungry trick-or-treaters. Sandy Rhoades performed a magic show.
On Railroad Street, Dave and Resha Jacobs, dressed in railroad attire, ushered visitors through the haunted caboose. Inside, fog and eerie music set the scene, with candy and Judy Jacobs in a black cat costume awaiting visitors.
Cindy Burnstein offered something different. Alongside candy from the Adamah Farm crew, she handed out cabbage leaves.
“We’re a farm, and we’ve got a lot of cabbage,” she said.
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
