After nearly 30 years, Harlow’s, Peterborough’s downtown pub, has new owners.

Tim Selby of Dublin and Brian Zimmer of Peterborough, who purchased the bar and restaurant from longtime owner Dave Szehi last month, are completing the final details of the transition.

“We’re planning to be open Wednesday night,” Selby said Tuesday. “We just have a few minor details to work out.”

For Szehi, the transition is bittersweet, as the sale closes a 33-year chapter in his life. Szehi began working at the old Harlow’s in the basement of the current space in 1991, and bought the business from previous owner H. Harlow Richardson in 1996. 

“There was nothing here in 1991; there were tumbleweeds. There was nothing happening in Depot Square after 3 p.m,” Szehi said of Peterborough in the 1990s. “I always wanted there to be a destination for people, to bring people downtown. I wanted to feel like I was part of that.” 

Szehi, an artist and musician, built Harlow’s into the pub it is today. He said people often tell him, “We moved to Peterborough because of Harlow’s.” 

“Dave has been a tremendous supporter of the arts, the Harlow’s has had a huge impact on the Peterborough community,” Selby said. “I’ve met people across the country who know Harlow’s. They’ve said, ‘Oh, you’re from Peterborough – is that where Harlow’s is?” 

Szehi said the COVID years had a devastating impact, with the restaurant shutting down as he was becoming a caretaker for both his parents. 

“Harlow’s has been my life, 24/7, for almost 30 years, and it’s time for me to pass the torch to a younger generation,”  Szehi said. “I’m tired.” 

Szehi is grateful that he has been able to create a place that has been so meaningful to the community.

“People always tell me that Harlow’s in just like The Brick in ‘Northern Exposure,’ or that it’s just like Cheers,” he said. 

Selby and Zimmer are grateful that Szehi will stay on for a while during the transition, along with Szehi’s daughter, Aeva Szehi-McCullough, and Aeva’s mother, Jessica McCullough, who has been the longtime manager. 

Selby, who lived in downtown Peterborough for 20 years before moving to Dublin, has an strong emotional attachment to Harlow’s.  

“For my family, for my kids growing up, every special event in our life was here – all the birthdays, all the celebrations. When my kids would wander around Peterborough when they got older, this was always a safe place they could go,” Selby said. 

A second generation of Selby’s family is already involved at Harlow’s, with his younger son, Wetu, currently working in the kitchen.

“His favorite sandwich is the Blairwitch,” Selby said. 

Selby said the chain of events leading to the sale was put into motion when he ran into Szehi at the Pearl in March, and Szehi mentioned he was formally putting the restaurant on the market. 

“I was sitting at Post & Beam a few weeks later, and I just thought, ‘I really want to buy Harlow’s,’” Selby said. “I bounced it off some friends and talked to Erika (Rosenfeld, owner of Post & Beam Brewery) about it. Then a few days later, Brian texted me and asked ‘What are you up to these days?’ And he had heard thought the grapevine that I was thinking about buying it.”

Selby said when considered buying the pub, he thought, “I could be happy doing that for the next 20 or 25 years. And, my wife said I needed a new project.” 

Both Zimmer and Selby have long experience in running service-oriented businesses in various industries. Zimmer, who has lived in Peterborough with his family since 2008,  has also worked as a line cook, and was a bartender for five years.

“It’s about service. It’s about knowing what your customer wants and providing it,” Selby said. 

Zimmer and Selby don’t plan to make any big changes for the foreseeable future.

“The staff is all staying, and the menu will stay the same for now,” Zimmer said. “We may simplify it slightly in the future to make it easier for the kitchen, but we will see. We know people really love Harlow’s, and we know people don’t like change.” 

Selby said one thing he and Zimmer are excited about is adding a selection of New Hampshire craft beers and local wines, with help from Rosenfeld, who will curate the Harlow’s beer list.

“We’d like to make Harlow’s a destination for New Hampshire beer and wine,” Selby said. 

Zimmer and Selby also plan to bring live music back to the Harlow’s stage, which stopped during the pandemic. 

“It’s a great size and space for live music, and everyone has started to ask. We’ve already talked to a few bands,” Zimmer said.  

Selby and Zimmer said they are also hoping to have Harlow’s open on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Szehi said he is looking forward to being able to spend more time on his art in his retirement. 

“I just want to thank the community for all their support in the last 30 years. I did everything I hoped to be able to do with this place, and I always wish I could do more for people. But I am so grateful I found Tim and Brian. I’m so happy,  and I’m totally confident they will be able to pull it off,” Szehi said. “This is going to be a good thing.”