Many of the restaurants that closed marked the end of several years of business in the Square. Leo’s Place shuttered at the end of December after almost 60 years as a mainstay establishment in the area. Similarly, Tommy Doyle’s shut down on Dec. 22 after nine years in Winthrop Square, and UpStairs in the Square followed suit on Dec. 31, following more than 30 years of service.

{shortcode-656cdc4cb26258cef18b6f8a470dbb5eb2060175}

The owners of Leo’s Place, brothers Raffi and Njteh Bezjian, thanked patrons over Facebook in December for their support over the past decades. The co-owners could not be reached for comment. There are not yet plans for a new eatery  in the JFK St. storefront.

The former site of Tommy Doyle’s has already been repurposed as the home of the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770, and, according to Jillson, the space occupied by UpStairs in the Square will be used by a new restaurant named Parsnip.

Owners of newly established eateries in the Square have expressed hope about their Harvard Square locations.

Shake Shack CEO Randy Garutti said that he would like to see the Harvard Square location become a center for the Cambridge community.

{shortcode-67ca661b31702f67cf14989adeb67750eb74c256}

The restaurant, located in Winthrop Square, has introduced several new menu options tailored to the Harvard community, including a Hasty Pudding milkshake and Crimson Red Velvet concrete, one of the chain’s signature custard shakes.