• File: James Buck
• Deep City's takeout options in May 2020

Deep City, the Burlington waterfront restaurant owned by the Foam Brewers team, closed on November 22. In a post on social media, the owners called the closure a "goodbye for now, not forever." Foam Brewers' taproom, which shares the building at 112 Lake Street, remains open as usual.

"We're hoping that it's temporary," Foam co-owner and creative director Jon Farmer told Seven Days on Monday. "But we have to close now, and we don't know when we will reopen or what that will look like."

Deep City launched as a takeout-only spot in March 2020, right as the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. Later, as restaurants opened up again, it became a dinner destination for folks looking for Foam beers on tap, natural wines, burgers, vegan poutine, and — as of this spring — meats and local veggies cooked out back on a hand-built smoker.

Yet the challenges that accompanied Deep City's opening have lingered. The difficulty of staffing the kitchen has led to recent day-of closures, Farmer said.

"It's a very, very sad time, but we felt like it's the right move, rather than limping along and patching holes," he added.

The team will use the Deep City space during Foam's annual Holiday Maker's Market, which continues on Wednesday, November 29, and again on New Year's Eve as part of Burlington's Highlight celebration. Farmer said they plan to determine the restaurant's future over the next few months.