“At the end of the day, we’re still a burger, wings, and cold beer place,” says Nik Rhodes, chef and one of four new owners of The Well Restaurant + Bar in Great Barrington. That’s good news for regulars, who had come to rely on the cozy Main Street restaurant for a solid, reasonably priced meal. Rhodes, along with Josh and Emily Irwin, and Lisa Ake, took ownership of The Well this past summer, shortly after it was put on the market by the previous owners. Rhodes and Ake had worked for the Irwins when they owned Cantina in New Marlborough—Ake was the general manager and Rhodes was a sous-chef. After Cantina was sold, the four remained friends. “We kind of always wanted to be together,” says Ake, who is also the general manager at JuJu’s, which is also owned by the Irwins. There was a plan to expand JuJu’s when Josh Irwin heard through the grapevine that The Well was up for grabs. “Josh walks about town like a beat reporter,” says Rhodes. “You hear whispers and then Josh confirms them. He gets passionate about things quickly and then kind of pulls you in.”
The Well was an irresistible opportunity for the four to work together again, so they pooled their resources, took ownership in June, and opened their doors on July 5. “It was a whirlwind,” says Rhodes. While the original plan was to open three days a week, the team quickly decided to offer dinner five nights a week and lunch on weekends. “We’ve been at capacity since we opened,” says Rhodes. The restaurant, he says, was “slammed” during the summer car show on Main Street and before shows at the Mahaiwe Theater. “I think one of the alluring things when we were discussing this place as a potential purchase is that it’s not a four-months-of-the-year restaurant, where we’re relying on out-of-towners and we’re like squirrels collecting our acorns and hoping to make it through the winter,” says Ake. The Well, in fact, has always been a year-round going concern where you’re as likely to encounter tourists as a local family looking for a quick bite to eat. The partners are committed to maintaining that ambience.
“We kept the prices the same,” says Ake. They were even able to rehire the previous waitstaff and needed to fill just one position. “There were some specific people who were very much favorites, and we were able to get them back.” Ake manages the front of the house and relishes the hustle and bustle of the busy season; Rhodes cooks, crafting all dishes from scratch with care; and the Irwins pitch in wherever they’re needed. “They’ve been very involved with the day to day,” says Rhodes. “Emily has been involved with restaurants for a very long time, and Josh is a plug-and-play guy. If we need someone to tend bar or the dishwasher doesn’t show up, I knew he’ll be here.”
The menu has changed a bit, but not by much. Rhodes, who is part Finnish, has added Swedish meatballs and seared gravlax with fingerling potatoes and fennel salad to the menu—a nod to his upbringing. But you can also get smash burgers, wings, mac and cheese, and chili. The goal, he says, is to “just be consistent for the town, and to have fun 12 months out of the year.”
THE WELL
312 Main St.
Great Barrington
413-717-4037
facebook.com/thewellrestaurantandbar#
