GLOUCESTER — There's a new, year-round destination in town for dining entertainment — The Cut.
For more than two years, the former CVS building at 177 Main St. remained vacant with the exception of Bang-A-Song Studios, a recording studio.
In May 2022, Granite Cove Equities, LLC, purchased the multitenant building for $2.9 million. It has spent the last 15 months transforming it by adding a 22,000-square-foot facility featuring a restaurant (seating 180) and a multi-purpose entertainment venue (500 general admission, 300 seated) to the Bang-A-Song recording and rehearsal studio where multitrack records and musicians and music teachers can rent affordable rehearsal spaces.
“The Cut is the most exciting project we have seen on Main Street in recent memory,” Mayor Greg Verga, who is also a musician, wrote in an email to Wicked Local. “It's going to attract people to our beautiful city and benefit the entire downtown area.”
Verga admits the city was concerned about the building's prospects, but he can’t think of a better use or more important economic driver for the space.
“As a musician myself, I am looking forward to seeing some of the nationally known touring acts, and I am thrilled about the opportunities it will provide to local artists,” he wrote.
A musician’s dream becomes a reality
Fifteen months ago, Travis Siewers, director of operations for The Cut, said he walked through what was then a defunct CVS, a battered shell of a building.
In collaboration with Tom Clark, a concert and event manager who oversaw construction of House of Blues clubs and Motown Cafes, The Cut's space was designed and built.
“The building provided a great canvas, where we have added modern elements that complement the exposed brick, wood and tin ceilings that the existing building left behind for us to reuse,” said Clark in a press release.
A traditional marquee light sign listing upcoming shows hangs at the exterior main entrance to The Cut, facing a busy intersection. The interior décor features a painted mural on a brick wall depicting a musical performance.
On Nov. 20, a ribbon cutting marked the official opening of the restaurant, which is open daily.
Other entertainment offerings at The Cut include foosball, pool table and large-screen televisions.
The performance area is still under construction, but expected to be completed in January, in time for a Jan. 16 performance of The Brother Brothers with Jax Hollow.
About the restaurant
Executive Chef Justin Plumadore (formerly of Eastern Point Yacht Club and Allie’s Beach Street Café) created the menu for The Cut’s restaurant, which is open for from 4:30-10 p.m. daily for dinner. Entrees include pub steak, Szechuan salmon, roasted halibut, half chicken and butternut squash and black bean enchiladas.
A 32-seat wraparound bar offers a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including draught and bottled beers, hard kombucha, fine wines, curated cocktails and innovative mocktails.
A game-changer for Gloucester
Tess McColgan, executive director of Discover Gloucester, is excited for The Cut because it will be open year round and bring customers to nearby retailers and art galleries.
“In the tourism world, especially on the East Coast and North Shore, we focus on soft season months as a critical time to get visitors here,” she said. “We want people to come here in the winter, spring and fall, and to do that we need exciting things for them to do. Five nights of live music a week and big acts coming mid-week will be massive for us to have those opportunities to share with visitors from all over.” The space can also be used for other events, such as weddings, she added.
