North Haven Family Buys Popular Wallingford Restaurant

WALLINGFORD, CT — Wallingford’s popular The Library Wine Bar & Bistro on North Main Street has been sold to new ownership.

Joe Gouveia announced earlier this week that the restaurant was recently sold to the Massella Family of North Haven, owners of the Bagelicious locations in Cheshire and North Haven.

“This was a very difficult decision as The Library's staff and patrons have been a huge part of our lives over the past seven years,” The Gouveia Family wrote in a post on the Library’s Facebook page. “We want to thank everyone who has visited our restaurant for their first dates, anniversaries, birthday's and those who have hosted celebrations in our private event rooms. It has been our greatest honor to share these memories with all of you and we will cherish everyone that we met on this journey.

“Although, we are sad to close this chapter of our lives at The Library, we are very excited to delve into another adventure at the Wells Fargo building next door and spend more time with our growing family, as Joe just recently welcomed a grandson to his family tree.”

The post said that the Massella family is “very excited to be a part of downtown Wallingford and meet the community we speak so highly about.”

“We can proudly say that The Library is running the best it has ever run and we are proud of the team that have stood by us as we navigated our way through the pandemic,” the post reads. “We know there is a great future ahead and we wish the Massella family and The Library Team nothing but success, health and happiness!

“To our customers who have events booked and gift cards that haven't been used, the new owners will honor these obligations.

“Once Again, The Gouveia Family would like to thank all of you for these wonderful seven years and being a beautiful chapter of our story.”

John Massella told the Record-Journal that he was looking at the former Wells Fargo bank next The Library as the potential home of a third Bagelicious location when he learned that the restaurant was for sale.

He said the drive-thru in the rear of the former bank wouldn’t suit the needs for Bagelicious, but his family fell in love with The Library building. Massella also said that he intends to keep operations at the Library Wine Bar & Bistro intact, according to the Record-Journal.

Read more at the Record-Journal here.

Visit The Library Wine Bar & Bistro on Facebook here.

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