Tri-Cities lounge, in business 50+ years, will close before Thanksgiving

A Richland restaurant and bar that has been open for at least a half-century will close just before Thanksgiving.

The Towne Crier announced this week on its Facebook page that “all great things must come to an end ... (and) the time has come to call it a night.”

It has long been an anchor of the Uptown Mall Shopping Center at 1319 George Washington Way.

The post said the bar will close its doors for the final time on Wednesday, Nov. 24.

“We thank you all for your amazing support for the past 18 years,” the current owners wrote on Facebook. “We hope you will stop in during the next few weeks and say goodbye to our amazing staff.”

Bar management has limited who can comment on their Facebook, but the post has been shared by more than 300 people.

The Towne Crier has been owned since 2003 by Yellahammer Inc., which includes Paul Chartrand, Wayne Chartrand and Joe Jisa.

Their band , Yellahamer, will “rock The Crier” one last time on Nov. 20, according to a separate event post.

The restaurant weathered the coronavirus for nearly 16 months by providing growler refills and limited seating for meals. On July 2, the lounge celebrated the return of dancing with a live DJ.

Facebook posts show The Crier struggled with a shortage of employees in late July and early August, and had to close a couple of days and shorten its hours during the week. But the bar was fully staffed and back to its regular daily hours by mid-August.

The owners could not be reached by the Tri-City Herald about their decision to shut down.

The bar, then known as the Towne Crier Tavern, was owned in the 1970s and 80s by brothers Russell and Frank Burks.

An obituary for Russell Burks, who died in February, said he became known as “Chicken Russ for his famous broasted chicken, which was hands down the best chicken around.”

“He cooked over 200 chickens per week and often received orders from out of town,” the obituary said, “including an order from Portland, OR, where the customer flew to Richland to pick up an order to go.”