UPDATED: Thayer Street Losing Another Local Business

Durk’s Bar*B*Q is closing on Thayer Street.

According to an employee, the last day at its current location is December 22 — and it is expected “re-open” at a location closer to downtown “in the spring."

Durk’s opened on Thayer Street in 2017. 

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Latest Thayer Street Shakeup 

“Thayer Street on Providence’s East Side used to be predominately dominated by an eclectic collection of local shops -- either locally owned or small regional chains,” wrote GoLocal in March 2019 in “Proliferation of Chain Stores on Thayer St. — The Death of Locally Owned Retail?”

There was a local supermarket, gift stores, and locally owned restaurants, but first slowly, and now at a rapid pace, chains have taken over the retail strip. Today, CVS is on the corner of Thayer and Cushing Streets. Previously, it was a locally owned grocery store complete with a butcher shop.

The four-block commercial district now has more than 20 chains who dominate the college-focused retail strip. Students from Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design are prominent in the area. Today, there are fewer and fewer locally owned stores.

Efforts to reach Durk's owner Steve Durkee were unsuccessful at time of publication. 

A few hours after GoLocal first reported the closing, the company issued the following statement:

After 3 years of dishing out our award winning Texas-style BBQ on Thayer street, we will be relocating to a new spot in Providence, opening Spring 2020. Our last service on Thayer street is Sunday, December 22nd, 11:30a-9pm. Come n get it while ya can!

During the transition, our catering operations will be in full swing, catering to parties for up to 400 people.

Also, throughout the Winter & Spring, we’ll be popping up at some of our favorite bars and breweries, such as @ptxlounge_ri @buttonwoodscraftbrewing @guildri — stay tuned here @durksbbq for updates on where to find us as well as info on our new brick and mortar location!

We want to thank all of our loyal patrons, fans and regulars that have supported us since we opened - we look forward to seeing your smiling faces at our pop-ups over the next few months and welcoming y’all to our new home in the Spring! See ya soon & happy trails.

This story was first published 12/16/19 12:25 PM

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