Last Thursday, a full house gathered inside Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk to hear what many in the community have been hoping for: the restaurant at the venue is coming back, and a new season of programming is on the way.

The room had the kind of energy you only get when people are genuinely glad to be there. Several rounds of applause met the announcement, the loudest of them when the team confirmed that the kitchen is targeting a mid-June reopening.

What the new restaurant will look like

When the doors open this summer, guests will be able to order online for takeout or order at their table when they come in for a meal. The kitchen is anticipated to be open Wednesday through Sunday, from 4 to 9 PM. 

With the Norfolk Pub closing earlier this year, Norfolk has been a town without a sit-down restaurant. The return of dining at Infinity Music Hall fills a gap that residents and visitors have both felt, and it brings food service back to one of the most historic buildings in the region. Infinity Music Hall has stood on Greenwoods Road since 1883, and from 2009 onward its bistro was a destination in its own right before it closed during the pandemic.

A collaboration with the Yale School of Music

Alongside the restaurant news, the team announced a potential collaboration with the Yale School of Music for the winter season. Norfolk has a long and proud connection to Yale through the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, which has brought Yale faculty and students to town every summer for decades. Extending that relationship into the winter months opens up a new chapter and gives the community more reasons to head to the hall when the days get short.

Details on the winter programming will be announced as plans are finalized.

Why this is good news for the region

A working restaurant inside a working performance venue is more than a convenience. It is the kind of thing that makes a small town feel like a destination, that gives people a reason to stay for dinner after a concert or to drive out from Torrington, Winsted, or Canaan for an evening that does not require two stops. For audiences, it means a complete night out without leaving Norfolk.

It is also a vote of confidence in this corner of Litchfield County. Decisions like this, made by venues that have been part of a community for generations, signal that the cultural life of Northwest Connecticut is something worth investing in.

The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council congratulates the team at Infinity Music Hall and looks forward to a busy summer and a creative winter ahead.

Plan a visit: Infinity Music Hall is located at 20 Greenwoods Road West in Norfolk. Restaurant reopening is anticipated for mid-June, with hours Wednesday through Sunday, 4 to 9 PM.

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