The Gazebo sign finds new home as the Nantucket bar closes

A piece of The Gazebo, one of Nantucket’s best-known summer bars, now has a permanent home at The Chicken Box, the island’s well-known live music and dive bar.

Owner Luke Tedeschi hung the Gazebo’s sign Monday night in the “Penalty Box” section of The Chicken Box on Dave Street, according to a video posted by the Nantucket Current on Instagram on Wednesday. The sign joins others from island bars and restaurants that have closed over the years, which fill the walls and rafters of the bar. 

The Tavern & Gazebo will close for good on Monday, Oct. 12, giving fans one last chance to order the Gazebo’s signature “mudslide,” a creamy frozen cocktail consisting of hard liquor and ice cream. The Gazebo is an open-sided bar with views of the harbor, while The Tavern, open May through October, serves burgers, sandwiches, and salads, and is family-friendly. 

The day after the closing, Tedeschi plans to sell what he accumulated over 34 seasons: the red tables, chairs and barstools, signs, collectables and restaurant supplies, according to the Current. The Nantucket Current reported that all of the money will go to Addiction Solutions of Nantucket.

The closing stems from a lease that wasn’t renewed by the business’ landlord, Nantucket Island Resorts. According to the Current, Nantucket Island Resorts declined to extend Tedeschi’s lease after more than three decades. The Current also reported that he wasn’t given a chance to match offers from other bidders.

He acknowledged that fixed-term leases work that way, but told the Current the drink’s history made it hard to let go. 

“I brought the mudslide to the Gazebo back in 1993, and this will be the last year of my formula and my mudslide as we’ve all got to know it, to enjoy it, and it’s become iconic,” he told the publication.

The Gazebo did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.

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