Nectar's Credit: Jordan Barry ©️ Seven Days

The space that hosted legendary Burlington music venue Nectar’s for nearly 50 years might open its doors again soon. Whether it will do so under the name Nectar’s remains to be seen.

As reported by WCAX-TV on Thursday, businessman and nightclub owner Shawn Cliche has submitted zoning applications for a new business at 188 Main Street, the building that was once the epicenter of the Queen City music scene. Nectar’s permanently closed last summer after months of speculation about its future. Its owners cited a combination of factors including downtown construction, high rent and a changing live music ecosystem.

Cliche says he hopes to “activate all three floors” of the building to bring live music back to the place that helped launch the careers of Phish and Grace Potter. That would be a welcome relief to the Burlington music scene, which has lost several notable venues in recent years, most recently Radio Bean in September.

“It’s all still very early in the process,” Cliche said by phone, preaching patience. “It’s been great to see how much excitement and energy there is around bringing something back to that space, but we’ve got a ways to go still. I really hope we can do something special.”

Cliche has opened and operated multiple venues in several states over the past 30 years, including a controversial South Burlington strip club called Club Fantasy in 1995. He still awaits zoning approval for the new venture and does not own the Nectar’s brand — nor does building owner Joe Handy. The club was last owned and operated by concert promoter Ed Maier and a silent partner, but Maier stepped away in early 2025.

Former Nectar’s general manager Tyler Nettleton told Seven Days last year that he and the owners were looking at several options to bring the club back in some form, but there’s been no news on that front since. While Cliche said “it would be great” to bring the Nectar’s brand back to downtown Burlington, it’s too early to know the likelihood of acquiring the name. The brand’s current owners declined to comment.

Music editor Chris Farnsworth has written countless albums reviews and features on Vermont's best musicians, and has seen more shows than is medically advisable. He's played in multiple bands over decades in the local scene and is a recording artist in his own right. He can often be found searching for the perfect soft pretzel or listening to a podcast about the X-Men.