Mystery Solved At Cromwell Chicago Sam's — It's Primed To Be Murphy's

CROMWELL, CT — Murphy's Pub & Sports Bar, which recently took over a longtime establishment in Manchester, is also primed to expand into Cromwell at the Chicago Sam's location.

The business is located at 51 Shunpike Road in a plaza anchored by ShopRite near the Middletown line.

A sign on the perimeter of the plaza is advertising a review of the plans at the Sept. 3 PZC meeting. An announcement on the Murphy's Facebook page touts a Sept. 4 Grand opening. The page was once the Chicago Sam's page.

Murphy's recently took over Shea's in Manchester, a bustling sports bar on Route 30/83 in Manchester near the Vernon line. The venue has long been known for its outdoor patio setting with live entertainment and, at first, off-track horse racing betting and, more recently, online sports betting.

In late June, Chicago Sam's posted that it was temporarily closing.

The posting said, "We regret to inform you we will be closed as of Monday, July 1st, to make some changes at Chicago Sam's Cromwell. We will continue to post updates on Instagram and Facebook regarding a date to reopen. We can’t wait to see all of you when we are back."

The posts did not outline just what the improvements would be or when the restaurant would reopen again, but it has now emerged as being Murphy's.