They say all good things must come to an end, but nobody saw this one coming. Hemingway’s Bistro, an iconic downtown Beaufort gathering place known for late night fun, tons of familiar faces and an occasional hurricane party or two, is closing its doors after 32 years.
Hemingway’s announced the news on Monday morning in an emotional post on Facebook, saying that its last day would be Monday.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, this chapter is coming to an end, and saying that out loud still doesn’t feel real,” the posting said.
No additional information about the circumstances behind the closure has been announced.
“It was a place people came to celebrate, to forget, to laugh, to cry, to meet someone new, to see an old friend, to have one drink that somehow turned into an entire night, it said. The post noted that Hemingway’s was more than a bar, recalling decades of first dates, birthdays, reunions, breakups, friendships and nights when one drink turned into several.
“For some people, Hemingway’s was just a stop downtown,” the post said. “For a lot of us, it was home.”
The post also thanked the bar’s employees, recognized past employees over the years, as well as bartenders, and owners of the establishment.
“To everyone who sat at the bar, tipped a bartender, played a song, told us a story, celebrated a birthday, brought in a friend, stopped in every time you came to Beaufort, or simply made Hemingway’s part of your life — thank you.”
“A bar is really just four walls, some stools, some bottles and a sign outside,” the announcement said. “The people are what make it matter.”
“So when the last light goes out, the last glass is put away, and that door closes for the final time, a piece of my heart will stay behind.”
A popular local spot for so many for so long that gave back to the community, they even held annual Orphans & Strays gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas, which meant that folks who had nowhere to go for the holiday could gather and not be alone.
Hemingway’s will be closed by sometime late Monday night.
And, with its closure, Beaufort lost another little piece of its personality.
