BURRILLVILLE – A Burrillville property that has changed hands many times over the past decade is once again up for sale following just one year in business as a restaurant.
Chapman’s Food & Drink has closed its doors, and the property at 1950 Bronco Highway is listed for sale for $699,900. The 3.5 acre property features a 3,461-square-foot building built in 1962, used in recent years as dine-in restaurant space, as well as batting cages, a game room and a mini-golf course.
Despite investments, owners in recent years have had little luck maintaining a business on the property. Long known as “Mr. Doughboy,” until that establishment closed in 2013, the business became, “Sweet Caroline’s,” in 2015. In 2018, it opened as “Oakley’s,” and had a period of vacancy until it became “Chapman’s,” last year.
Each new owner has brought improvements, from kitchen updates and the acquisition of a liquor license, to rehabilitation of the mini-golf course. The business became something of an outdoor entertainment venue under management of Linda Oakley Giguerre, but closed in 2020 amid pandemic-related restrictions and supply-chain issues.
Jack and Laura Chapman of Uxbridge, Mass., bought the property for $500,000 by late 2021, and envisioned a restaurant with a focus on fresh food and drinks. As Chapman’s, go-karts were eliminated to establish extra parking, and the business featured weekly cornhole tournaments and a new mini-arcade.
But much like the pandemic presented obstacles for the prior owner, closure of the busy road the runs in front of the business may have hindered the Chapmans’ efforts. Traffic was detoured off of Route 102 for most of 2022 for repair of the Mohegan Bridge, and only recently resumed.
“Someone needs to take advantage of this super opportunity,” noted realtor Scott McGee in a post about the property. “This pub/restaurant is in turn key condition.”
