Beloved Hotel Vernon Bar In Worcester Reopening After Pandemic

WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester institution will reopen this week for the first time since the pandemic-mandated shutdowns of March 2020.

The Hotel Vernon bar overlooking Kelley Square will open at 3 p.m. Thursday, according to a social media post by owner Bob Largess.

"Hold on tight! Here we go! Our doors open this Thursday Nov 4th @ 3pm. We will close every night at midnight," the Facebook post said.

The bar, with its $1 drafts, will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. until midnight, and Sundays from 4 p.m. until midnight.

Gov. Charlie Baker closed all bars and restaurants in Massachusetts in March 2020 during the rise of the first wave of coronavirus. The delta variant kept cases high in the Worcester area in recent months even with vaccines available. New case rates have begun to drop recently — so much so that the Worcester Palladium announced Tuesday that it would no longer require vaccine proof at shows (unless requested by artists).