"Don't keep the name, make it your own." According to the Hartford Courant, Paul "Woody" Haas said this to the couple who bought Wood's Pit BBQ from him. The restaurant on Bantam Lake Road had carried his name for more than 30 years. The buyers weren't strangers. Segundo "Junior" Angamarca had worked for Haas for 13 years, and his wife, Emily Anderson, used to wait tables there.
Bantam's best-known places have changed hands this way before. Gooseboro Drive-In went to a founder's daughter in 2005, and Bantam Cinema went to a group of local film fans in 2021. This year Wood's Pit became JR's, and Gooseboro's owners started looking for a buyer. In May the state also named the borough a cultural district, so there is now an official list of the places that will someday need new keepers.
A grill renamed by the man who built it
JR's Southwest Grill & BBQ opened in February 2026 at 123 Bantam Lake Road, also known as Route 209, right next to the Bantam Cinema and Arts Center. The Courant reported that the couple renovated the building in late 2025. The new name was something Haas helped settle. In Spanish, "Segundo" can mean "Junior," so they went with JR's.
The barbecue is still smoked in the pit, and the couple still live in Bantam. Anderson told the Courant that some people still come in looking for Wood's Pit. The Borough of Bantam's own business directory already lists the restaurant as Junior's Southwest Grill, so the old name is fading and the new one is going into the record.
Gooseboro has changed hands this way before
You can see the same pattern at Gooseboro Drive-In at 293 Bantam Road on Route 202. Its history goes back to John Hammer, a Danbury native who bought 18 acres of what was then called Gooseboro Pasture. His sons Robert and John opened the stand in 1961, and the small square building with the blue roof replaced the first stand in the early 1970s. In 2005, Robert's daughter Debbie Downes and her husband, Bill, bought out Bob and Judy Hammer. They have run it the same way ever since.
The stand opened on April 24 for its 65th season. In late July, the Courant reported that the Downes family was looking for a buyer. They had gotten a few calls and set no conditions for a sale. Gooseboro usually runs from late April through October, so the 2026 season is in its last days or already over by now.
"Of course, we hope the new owner would keep the name. There's lot of history behind it and people know about it. We have people who were customers who bring their grandchildren now." Bill Downes, speaking to the Hartford Courant
The Downes family has also kept an old habit going. They hire high school and college students, and many of them were customers first. A lot of them come back every summer until they graduate. The drive-in sits next to Cozy Hills Campground, and campers ride over in golf carts on a trail behind the stand. Debbie Downes told the paper that a new owner could also rename the place and that "would be good too."
The cinema that local film fans bought
Bantam Cinema came through the same kind of handoff in 2021. That year a group of local film fans bought the historic theater and set it up as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. When Robert Kwalick started as executive director in August 2021, the building was dark and halfway through renovation. It reopened to the public that October with a showing of The Graduate. The Litchfield Arts Council calls it Connecticut's oldest continuously operating movie house. Under Kwalick it added programs such as the Storyteller Series and the "Rock Doc Block."
Kwalick stepped down this summer, and his last full day was July 10. The Arts Council reported that Operations Manager Danielle Guillet would run the theater day to day while the board looked for the next director. So in October 2026 the theater marked five years since its reopening while its own leadership was changing.
| Bantam place | Before | After | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood's Pit BBQ, now JR's | Paul "Woody" Haas, 30-plus years | Former employee Segundo Angamarca and former waitress Emily Anderson | Reopened February 2026 |
| Gooseboro Drive-In | Bob and Judy Hammer | Bill and Debbie Downes, Robert Hammer's daughter | 2005 |
| Gooseboro Drive-In | Bill and Debbie Downes | Owners seeking a buyer, per July reporting | 2026 |
| Bantam Cinema | Historic theater, dark and mid-renovation | Nonprofit formed by local film fans | Reopened October 2021 |
The state put a name on it
On May 15, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and other state officials came to Bantam Borough Hall to mark Bantam's new status as the Bantam River Cultural District. Visit Litchfield describes the district as centered on the one-square-mile Borough of Bantam, along the banks of the Bantam River. The Arts Council of Northwestern Connecticut reported that it is the third cultural district in Litchfield County. Kwalick worked on the committee that won the designation. So far, the visible results are official signs and brochures for local businesses.
The Connecticut Office of the Arts describes cultural districts as compact, walkable areas with several cultural assets. The program's goals include marketing local attractions, supporting artists and creative businesses, and strengthening a town's character. Established districts can also get in-kind marketing and promotion from state agencies, including tourism promotion through CTVisit.
The Borough of Bantam's district directory reads like a list of what's being kept and passed on. It includes:
- Food and drink: Arethusa a mano, Arethusa al tavolo, Arethusa Farm Dairy, Bantam Bread, Jackie's Restaurant, Junior's Southwest Grill, Krafted Brew Lab, La Catrina, Litchfield Catering & Deli, The Market and Zini's Restaurant
- Makers and studios: Bantam Tileworks, Carol Moore Studio, Dumais Made, Guy Wolff Pottery, Monice Morenz and KidsFindArt
- Everyday stops: Brierwood Nurseries, Merritt Clarke's, The Clothes Tree and The Hair Factory
Visit Litchfield also points to the Bantam Arts Factory, Bantam River Park, Bantam Falls, and historical displays that include a Flynn & Doyle carriage. It lists the trails at White Memorial and Prospect Mountain Preserve as nearby.
Gooseboro is not on the borough's directory. It sits out on Route 202 next to Cozy Hills Campground, and its future depends on whoever answers the Downes family's search for a buyer.
Bantam's calendar once the stand closes
Once Gooseboro closes for the season, Bantam's calendar is mostly indoors. Arethusa al tavolo's booking page lists dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Bantam Cinema has films and events posted through December 17. The current lineup includes All My Sons, Carrie, The Shining, Fjord, You Can See Everything, Wild Horse Nine, Elsinore and Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
These are the dates on the late-fall calendar:
- Saturday, November 7, 5:30 p.m. Bantam Cinema's fifth-anniversary party runs three hours at Washington Club Hall. It features The Perfect Fifth Jazz Quartet, Grammy-winning musicians Krystyana and James Czeiner, and actor Jack Gilpin, plus hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Tickets are limited, and premium tickets include reserved seats and free movie passes. Details are on the event page.
- Monday, November 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bantam Historical Society meeting, listed on the Borough of Bantam calendar.
- Monday, December 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Historical Society's December meeting.
- Thursday, December 17. The last date on the cinema's posted schedule for the year.
On the night of the anniversary party, Bantam will have a historic cinema five years past its reopening and a barbecue place that took a new name in February. The roadside stand on Route 202 will have finished its 65th summer and is waiting to see who runs it next spring.
If you own a home in Bantam or elsewhere in Litchfield and want to know how this year's changes figure into what it's worth, E.J. Murphy Realty can walk you through it. Get your free home valuation with our Litchfield experts.
