by Marc Hurwitz
[Ed note: This article was updated to reflect the fact that a distillery is moving into the space.]
It looks like an upscale Italian restaurant that was located in an historic mill building has abruptly closed.
According to a source, Incontro Restaurant and Lounge in Franklin has shuttered with little or no warning, with a Facebook post from Franklin Panthers Hockey and other social media posts seeming to confirm this. Our source tells us that the owners of the West Central Street spot also run Rock N' Coal Pizza in Bellingham but the latter won't be honoring gift cards from the former, and Facebook posts seem to confirm this as well, though we are still trying to get 100% confirmation of this (if this changes, we will post an update here).
Incontro was located in Brookdale Mill, which dates back to the 1800s.
The address for Incontro Restaurant and Lounge was 860 West Central Street, Franklin, MA, 02038.
[February 8 update: According to an article from Wicked Local, Incontro owner Jim Clark says that the restaurant closed for "legal reasons" and that he has been advised by his lawyer that he should not comment any further on the issue. The post also mentions that the restaurant will not be returning to the space, though it is not known whether it could open in a new location.]
[February 12 update: Wicked Local says that a restaurant and distillery called GlenPharmer could be moving into the former Incontro space, with the distillery possibly offering whiskey, vodka, and gin. (A hearing on the proposed new spot is slated for February 25.)]
[February 22 update: A new article from Wicked Local mentions that a public online-only auction will take place on Tuesday, February 26 for items from Incontro, with an inspection for buyers taking place the previous day.]
[March 21 update: It looks like plans for a distillery and restaurant to open in the Incontro space are one step closer to reality, as a new Wicked Local article states that the Planning Board has given it a positive vote.]
[October 18 update: A post within the jobs section of bostonchefs.com indicates that GlenPharmer Distillery is now hiring, while its website says that it plans to open sometime this fall. (The jobs post mentions that the place will include a tasting room and a dining spot called PROOF.)]
Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
