Another Enfield Establishment Closes Its Doors

ENFIELD, CT — A dining and drinking establishment known for its community involvement and generosity has closed its doors, according to a post on its Facebook page.

The Enfield Tap, located at 112 Spring Street on the corner of Maple Avenue, has been operated by Rich MacTaggart and Teri Anderson since 2013. They have been recognized for their various contributions to community events, including a yearly Christmas party for children, town firefighters serving as guest bartenders during an annual Toys For Tots fundraiser and benefits for the Loaves & Fishes soup kitchen.

Their Facebook message reads:

"Friends, it is with a heavy heart that we let you know that we have closed the doors at The Enfield Tap. We gave it our heart and soul for the past almost five years and we are so great to have made amazing friends along the way. We cannot give enough thanks to our family/staff for bringing the Tap to life every day, with every event and every season. You have been the blood life of the place and we cannot thank you enough for your dedication. To the community, thank you for your patronage and your friendship. It has been an honor to serve you! We will leave this page up so that anyone who feels they would like to share some fond memories may do so."

For many years dating back to at least the early 1960s, the site was home to the Ringside Restaurant, a sports-themed watering hole owned for more than 20 years by Hank Brignoli, who adorned the walls with photos of area sports figures. In the years just prior to the opening of the Tap, the name changed several times under various management, including the Sports Corner Pizza & Grill and Skinny's Bar & Grill.

Fans of the establishment have expressed their sadness and disappointment in the closure on the Tap's Facebook page:

• "I am beyond sad to hear this. Rich and Teri took this place and made it feel like the old Ringside, a safe, fun place to eat and drink. And not to forget the awesome staff, Barbara, Paula, Fawn, Ashley and so many more. I wish all of you the best in whatever your next chapter is and thank you for the fun." - Diane Kadzik
• "Dearest Teri and Rich. I will surely miss The Enfield Tap. From the moment we stepped in the door, we felt welcome. Made a lot friends. Always great parties and fundraisers, the trips to the casino. It was great!!!! They say that all good things must come to an end, and in this case, it breaks my heart!!!" - Inge Hohn
• "So sorry to see it close. Had a lot of fun times down there. You have done so much for the community and for the children. Loved all the children’s parties, especially when Santa came. Wish you much luck in life." - Frankie Cardaropoli
• "I am saddened to hear this news...I’ve had a lot of fond memories with doing karaoke at the Tap and also for the generosity of Teri and Rich when it came for us to do our Relay For Life fundraisers. Also bar bingo was a blast along with hearing local bands and just feeling like family no matter when I visited." - Terri Lillibridge

Photo credit: Tim Jensen