t Popular spot for cocktails, socializing closes its doors.

It’s been a staple on the corner of Winslow Way and Madison Avenue for more than 15 years – and now it’s gone.

The Winslow Way Cafe has officially closed its doors and will not reopen, ending the restaurant’s tenure in one of Bainbridge’s prime high-street locations.

Owner Sean Halligan decided not to renew his lease after nearly six years in business.

“It’s definitely bittersweet; I am going to miss all my customers,” Halligan said. “But the lease was too high for me and the lease is too high for the business… it’s definitely a business decision.”

Everything that is left of the Winslow Way Cafe is up for sale. Halligan is keeping the doors open until Sunday in a bid to fire-sale everything from artwork to cutlery.

“I am basically garage selling it,” Halligan said. “Most everything is gone already. A lot of people are buying it up to move into other restaurants.”

This will most likely be the end of the Winslow Way Cafe in name, a business that has changed hands several times over the years.

Halligan got in to the hospitality business while living in Colorado and worked for a variety of service and entertainment companies such as Hyatt Corp. and Universal Studios before coming to Bainbridge. He acquired the business from Richard Ramsey and his wife, Barbara. The business was started by Tom Lathrop and Carl Sussman in 1993.

“It was a real labor of love when we first put that place together,” said Sussman, who is now a realtor on the island. “But you know, it’s time for a change, I feel like it’s probably the right thing to happen.”

Halligan, who ran the business with his wife, Lotus, will still be working in the restaurant industry, but doesn’t see himself on Bainbridge.

“I’ll be somewhere in the restaurant business but not owning one in the near future,” he said. “I’ll probably be working in Seattle, so to begin working elsewhere I need to be done (with the cafe) after this weekend.”

Within the restaurant, staff members are helping to clean the building and are moving on to other jobs or preparing themselves for a new year at school.

James Coatsworth, who will start his junior year at Bainbridge High School next month, had been a busboy at the restaurant since June. He was disappointed that the business closed down.

“I heard rumors and then about midway through July I heard we were closing for sure,” Coatsworth said. “I think it’s pretty sad, I really liked that restaurant and I loved that job… I know one of the waitresses got a job at San Carlos and one of the cooks got a job at Richie’s, so I think (the ex-staff) are doing alright on finding new jobs…”

Recently, the Winslow Way Cafe was known more for its late nights and cocktails than its lunch and dinner fare, something noted by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kevin Dwyer.

“It’s always a tragedy anytime an icon business like the Winslow Way (Cafe) goes out of business,” Dwyer said. “It was a place people gravitated to a little later in the evening… it was popular for cocktails and social gatherings. That was one of its strong suits.”

The closure of the cafe as a social venue has raised some questions about what, if anything, will fill the void in the prime downtown location.

Earl Miller, the owner of the property on the northwest corner of Winslow Way and Madison, could not be reached for comment on the closure of the cafe or if any other business, restaurant or otherwise, would fill the void.

For now the building will remain empty with a simple notice on the door to its previous patrons; “Due to unreachable expectations we are not choosing to renew our lease in this space. We regret that we will be closing the Winslow Way as we know it on August 18th.”

“I want to say thanks to all my customers and my employees and their families,” Halligan said. “I hope to see you all on the streets.”