• File Photos: James Buck
• Bogdan Andreescu at Jr's Original in Winooski in 2019

Classic Italian American eateries Junior's Winooski and Jr's Williston, both originally owned by Bogdan Andreescu, have now gone their separate ways. As of July 16, Jr's Williston has closed "until further notice," according to a sign tacked on its door. The Sidebar, an adjacent sports bar Andreescu opened a year after Jr's Williston launched in 2021, has also closed.

Andreescu told Seven Days that he hopes the closings will be temporary and is doing everything he can to keep the businesses afloat.

Meanwhile, Junior's Winooski, which Andreescu opened in 2018 under the name Jr's Original, remains up and running despite Main Street construction. Longtime employees Glenn Patterson and Ryan Brigante purchased the restaurant from Andreescu in January 2023.

The two had been running the Winooski location since Andreescu expanded to Williston, with Brigante as executive chef. After a move and a brief experiment with Chinese cuisine in 2022, Junior's Winooski returned to its Italian roots. Having worked in restaurants for "quite a while," Patterson said, he welcomed an opportunity to delve further into the industry.

Junior's Winooski's owners have been altering the restaurant's offerings, making high-quality sourcing choices and finessing the menu. "Any time we can improve things, we will," Patterson said.