Wareham’s Iconic Vel’s Restaurant Sold and Will Get New Name

WAREHAM (WBSM) — West Wareham’s iconic Vel’s Family Restaurant and Lounge has a new owner and will soon undergo a rebranding, although it is expected to retain a lot of its recipes and its charm.

As reported by Wareham Week, the Cranberry Highway restaurant – which hit the market back in February for $1.3 million – has been purchased by Robert Harriman, Jr. of Hanover, Massachusetts. Harriman also owns Cornerstones Pizza and Pub in Carver, and will be renaming Vel’s “C-Stones Tavern.”

"We're going to keep a lot of the same recipes, the old favorites and then I'm going to bring a twist," Harriman told Wareham Week. "Like the other restaurant that I own."

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Vel’s has been in operation since 1964, owned and operated the entire time by the Bump family of Wareham.

Judy Bump, whose husband Carl owns Vel’s along with his two brothers Steve and Brian, explained to WBSM back in February that the restaurant was up for sale because the owners wanted to retire.

“In short, our restaurant is for sale because my husband and I, as well as my brothers-in-law, need to retire soon,” she said. “Being in our seventies, things get a little harder every day.”

READ MORE: Vel's Owners Explain Why They Are Selling the Iconic Wareham Restaurant

Vel’s is one of Wareham’s longest-tenured restaurants, especially after Lindsey’s Family Restaurant closed in 2022 and later reopened under new ownership as Towne Tavern & Tap.

Harriman did not say if he plans on keeping the current staff at Vel’s, but Bump told WBSM that she was hoping any new owner would do so.