By Kolby LaMarche

Businessman Shawn Cliche has submitted zoning applications to open a new nightclub at 188 Main Street, the building that housed Nectar’s for nearly fifty years before the venue closed permanently in the summer of 2025.

The proposal remains in its early stages, with no final concept or timeline announced, and it is unclear whether the Nectar’s name would return to the space.

Nectar’s opened in 1975 under Nectar Rorris and became one of Burlington’s most recognizable music rooms. The club offered a stage to local and touring acts across genres and gained wider attention for its early connection to Phish, the Burlington band that played dozens of shows there in the 1980s.

Other Vermont artists, including Grace Potter, also appeared early in their careers. The venue was known as much for its gravy fries and relatively accessible atmosphere as for the music, functioning as a working neighborhood club rather than a high-end concert hall.

The permanent closure followed a temporary pause announced in May 2025.

Operators cited the impact of the city’s Main Street reconstruction project, which reduced foot traffic with fencing, lane closures, and construction activity directly in front of the building. They also pointed to public safety concerns and a broader shift in downtown energy that made it difficult for a small independent venue to sustain itself.

Attempts to reach a new agreement with the building’s landlord, Joe Handy, were unsuccessful. In late July 2025 the operators confirmed that Nectar’s would not reopen, ending a half-century run at the address.

The loss added to a string of recent departures from Burlington’s music and nightlife scene. Radio Bean, the North Winooski Avenue club and coffeehouse that had operated for twenty-six years as a hub for independent and experimental music, closed in September 2026.

Owner Lee Anderson cited an immediate and unaffordable liquor liability insurance bill of nearly $30,000 as the decisive factor after years of financial pressure. Other venues and restaurants on or near Main Street and Church Street have also closed in the past two years, including The Gryphon.

Cliche, who has operated bars and clubs in the region and elsewhere for three decades, has said he hopes to put all three floors of the Main Street building into use with live music, food service, DJs, and related entertainment.

In comments made to WCAX he described the project as still early and emphasized the need for patience while zoning and other steps move forward. He does not own the Nectar’s brand, and neither does the building’s owner.

Any new venue would need to navigate the same economic and regulatory conditions that contributed to earlier closures.

Those conditions remain a central concern for downtown Burlington. Meals and rooms tax collections in the city have been largely flat or declining in recent years even as some neighboring communities have recorded growth.

Business owners and analysts have pointed to multi-year street reconstruction, reduced foot traffic linked to public safety complaints, the effects of remote work on weekday activity, and rising costs for labor, insurance, and rent.

City officials have responded with increased police presence in designated hot spots, cleanup efforts, and additional security measures. Business groups have continued to press state officials for more support, arguing that a weakened downtown carries costs for the broader regional economy.

While some businesses have adapted, others have described the cumulative effect of closed lanes, limited parking, and disrupted access as particularly hard on establishments that depend on spontaneous or evening visitors.

Public safety issues, including open drug use and homelessness in certain downtown blocks, have also featured prominently in discussions among merchants and residents about why fewer people are spending time in the area after dark.

A new nightclub at 188 Main Street would not resolve these broader pressures on its own. It could, however, restore one of the few remaining mid-sized rooms capable of supporting both local musicians and touring acts. Burlington’s music scene has historically relied on a small number of independent venues that provided regular work for artists and consistent gathering places for audiences..

Whether Cliche’s proposal advances will depend on zoning approval, the terms of any lease, financing, and the practical ability to draw consistent crowds in the current downtown climate.

City planning and permitting processes will determine the next formal steps. In the meantime the building remains largely unchanged.

BDN will follow the application and provide updates as they come.