Somerville Restaurant To Change Management, Undergo Renovations

SOMERVILLE, MA – A Union Square restaurant and pub will get a makeover this month and reopen in September with new management at the helm. On Aug. 14, the Independent will close for a few weeks for upgrades.

These include refinished floors and bar tops, new upholstery on booths and barstools, a new sound system, fresh paint and a few more adjustments, according to a press release. The restaurant will reopen in early September with Matt Alvey as the new general manager.

If you don't recognize the name, you definitely know the body of work. Alvey is a veteran of the Cambridge-Somerville restaurant scene, having worked at Redbones, The New East Coast Grill and the Independent's sister restaurant, River Bar.

The Independent has operated out of 75 Union Square since 2001 and recently celebrated its "Sweet 16."

"The goal of the renovation is to keep the Indo fresh for years to come," COO Jess Willis said in a statement. "As Union Square embarks upon a new stage of development, we thought this would be a great time for us to rejuvenate. We want to be indispensable to the neighborhood now and in the future."

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