Wareham’s Lindsey’s Restaurant Closed for a Heartbreaking Reason the Owner Is Finally Ready to Share

WAREHAM (WBSM) — Lindsey’s Family Restaurant operated for 74 years, welcoming generations of hungry folks through its Wareham doors. Its loyal patrons were shocked when, in late 2022, the restaurant suddenly closed down and went up for sale.

At the time, owner Cheri Lindsey told Fun 107 that staffing issues and rising food costs were making it difficult to stay in business – but that was only part of the story, the part Lindsey was comfortable sharing with the public.

Behind the scenes, something else was happening that she couldn’t explain, something far more frightening than just struggling to pay vendors or make payroll. More on that in a moment.

READ MORE: Lindsey's Owner Says 'Harsh Reality' Forced Closure

Lindsey's Family Restaurant Comes Back Online to Announce Big Yard Sale

Lindsey’s fans were abuzz this weekend over a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page. It was only the second post shared since Lindsey’s closed at the end of 2022.

“Hi everyone!! We miss you!!” the post read. “Mom is moving and we are having a huge yard sale! There will be lots of great finds including TONS of Lindsey’s merch! Swing on by for your last chance to grab a piece of Lindsey’s history.”

The yard sale is happening this Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 79 Edgewater Drive in Wareham.

“We miss feeding and serving you more than you know,” the post concluded.

WBSM spoke with Cheri Lindsey to learn more about the yard sale, and first and foremost, she wants you to know that she misses the food just as much as you do, if not more.

“I miss Lindsey’s food so much! I crave it,” Lindsey said. “People will tell me, ‘oh, they make this here’ or ‘they make that there,’ but it’s never quite the same.”

READ MORE: Lindsey's Secret Recipes Finally Released

She said Saturday’s yard sale will have a little bit of everything from Lindsey’s, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, glasses, signs, photos, artwork and other memorabilia. Oh, and one other thing: recipe books featuring all your beloved favorites.

Cheri Lindsey Breaks Her Silence on Her Health Battle

During the discussion, Lindsey also shared with WBSM the real reason why she put the restaurant up for sale three and a half years ago.

“I felt really sick. I couldn’t concentrate. I had three different surgeries on my back and my neck, but it didn’t really help,” she said. “I couldn’t function mentally. I couldn’t carry on conversations.”

That led to her putting the restaurant on the market, something she said she didn’t want to have to do. Although she also knew retirement was not that far off either as she approached 70 years old, she had not lost her passion for going to work every day and didn’t want to give it up.

“We did not know we’d be closing. We did not have to close financially,” Lindsey said. “One day, I got up and I could not think, I could not see. You need a leader in a business, and I couldn’t do it.”

“I just couldn’t function on a daily basis. I was having hallucinations, and I was brain dead half the time,” she said. “Finally, they told me I had Lewy body dementia with Parkinson’s.”

Courtesy Cheri Lindsey

What Is Lewy Body Dementia?

Lewy body dementia – the same disease that Robin Williams had – is a progressive brain disease in which abnormal protein deposits known as “Lewy bodies” build up in the brain, causing nerve cells to malfunction and eventually die. There is no known cure, nor is there a way to slow the process, and the prognosis is considered terminal.

“They call it the long, long goodbye,” Lindsey said, noting she doesn’t know how much time she has left. “It’s unbelievable how much it screws with your brain.”

Lindsey sold the restaurant to Dave Barry, who renovated the building and opened it as Towne Tavern & Tap Wareham in early 2024. It closed down recently and will soon re-open as 12 Knots Classic American Grille, owned and operated by the Dearing family, who also own the Fireside Grille in Middleboro. Barry commented on a post in a Facebook group that he and his wife “were presented with [an] opportunity we couldn’t refuse.”

Google Maps

Fighting Back Against Lewy Body Dementia

Meanwhile, after selling the restaurant, Lindsey said she “got in bed for two months and cried,” but was then inspired by her brother to fight off the illness for as long as she’s able. She said getting out, being active, and talking with people each day have all been part of that fight.

“I’ve learned a lot about Lewy body dementia. I’ve learned a lot about nutrition,” she said. “I’m more than happy to help anybody that wants to fight it themselves.”

Lindsey has been focused on that daily battle against her illness, and turning what may sound like a tragedy into something inspirational.

“I’m trying to make the most of my life. I’m fighting it,” she said. “Every day I live to get sunshine, not only from the outdoors, but from people. I can’t be around any negative situations, because it puts me right under and I might not come out of it. I get up every day and try to do the best I can.”

At 72, she still has a lot of living left to do. “And I am working my ass off to do that,” she said. “I am living my best life.”

WATCH: Lindsey's Owner Appears on Judge Judy

Lindsey has also moved from her waterfront home in Wareham and is selling the property. That’s why she needs to part with a large amount of Lindsey’s merchandise and memorabilia she’s held onto since selling the business, which has been a lifeline for her in her health battle.

“I love Lindsey’s. It’s in my heart, in my soul. I think about it every day. I think about the people,” she said. “I keep everything around me. I have a lot of Lindsey’s memorabilia, a lot of the artwork that hung on the walls. It’s what makes me feel like I’m home. I really do miss the people so much. I miss the employees, and I miss the customers, who really were like family.”

Legendary Wareham Restaurant Permanently Closes

A Final Chance to Grab Lindsey’s Memorabilia and See Old Friends

Saturday’s yard sale is already shaping up to be well-attended, as the post has been shared dozens of times with folks saying how excited they are to see one another again. It sounds like what was planned to be just a moving sale is turning into a de facto Lindsey’s reunion.

“I hope so,” Lindsey said. “I really hope so.”

Is Another Restaurant in Cheri Lindsey’s Future?

Some folks who don’t know the whole story behind the decision to close are also asking if this is Lindsey’s way of wiping the slate clean from her former business in order to begin a new one.

“People are asking me if this is a precursor to opening another place. I tell them no, but you never know with me,” Lindsey said with a laugh. “But I was a very lucky girl to love what I did.”