Old Corner Cafe Has New Owners, Will Undergo Name Change

A corner bar with a storied past in the Union City section of the Borough is changing hands and will undergo a name change, as well.

The Citizen's News reports that Naugatuck resident Ryan Whipple, 35, and Tara Mirto, 37, of New Haven, bought the equipment and the rights to the Old Corner Cafe at 178 North Main St. for $106,000 from former owner Beany Ferreira last month.

They plan to have it open by Halloween and change the name to the Corner Tavern.

Tom Hill III, owner/broker of Tom Hill Realty & Investment, LLC., represented Ferreira in the sale. Ferreira bought the bar in July, 2009, from longtime former owner John Woermer, who hand-picked Ferreira for the sale.

Under Ferreira's tenure, the bar celebrated its 100th year and was chosen by Connecticut Magazine as the best bar in the state in 2010. It was also feted as the best place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the Greater Waterbury area by the Waterbury Observer.    

"I was honored Beany chose me to sell it again for him," Hill said. "The new buyers appear to be experienced operators and were willing to go through all the necessary steps to be experienced operators; they were willing to go through all the necessary steps to complete a transaction in today's commercial real estate environment." 

The new owners plan to completely renovate the building again to it’s original grandeur.    

Hill said he would like to thank Attorney Fred Dlugokecki and his staff, who represented the seller, plus Attorney Patrick Zailckas, who represented the buyers, for their assistance.