The Grey Jay Is Closing After October 12

Church Street is losing one of its best brunch tables.

The Grey Jay, the eastern Mediterranean-inflected spot at the top of Church Street, closes after service on Sunday, October 12. Chef and co-owner Cara Chigazola Tobin says the math just didn't work as the lease came up for renewal: as much as the team loves it, it just doesn't quite work.

Four years is a short run for a place that became a 2025 James Beard Award finalist. The shawarma wraps, the shakshuka, the French toast — it all earned national attention from a little room at 135 Pearl Street, a building that spent 22 years as Burlington's only LGBTQ+ bar. The team honored that history with a photo collection in the foyer.

The silver lining: sister restaurant Honey Road isn't going anywhere, and your Grey Jay gift certificates work there. The team is approaching its 10-year anniversary on Church Street.

You've got until Sunday. Go get the shakshuka one more time.