New Milford's ever-changing restaurant scene got a surprise last week when the American Kitchen abruptly closed. However, a new restaurant is getting ready to take over the space.

The American Kitchen was in the plaza behind the former Arby's on Rt. 7 for about a year and a half. They hosted open mic, trivia night and seemed to have a good following, so many were surprised to hear that they were shutting down.

The signage on the building has already been replaced with signs for a new restaurant which will be called "The Abbey." There is a note on the door saying that they are conducting interviews for new staff, so it looks like they will be up and running soon. There is no Facebook page for the place yet, so we're not exactly sure what's going to be happening inside, but between the name "The Abbey" and the Celtic family knot symbol we're pretty sure it will have an Irish theme. In the meantime, we can only speculate:

  • Will the TV's only show reruns of Downton Abbey?
  • Will they have a crosswalk inside so patrons can duplicate the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover?
  • Will Abby and the Roadsters, winners of last year's Ridgefield Playhouse BandJam, be the house band?
  • Will only nuns be allowed to work there? And if so, will they carry rulers to slap you on the wrist if you get unruly?

All kidding aside, we're excited to have a new place in New Milford, which has seen a revitalized restaurant scene in the last couple of years. We'll definitely update you as we hear more about what will be going on at the Abbey!

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