North Adams' Brewhaha Settled Into New Location
The Gartons have maintained the historic art deco facade of the former market. They've owned the building for at least a dozen years.
"We haven't lost anyone I think potentially we have more customers," owner Barry Garton said. "It is a much better location because of the exposure. When we were downtown if people didn't know where we were, they might not be able to find us."
Garton, who owns the café with his wife, Nancy, just moved to the former West End Market on West Main Street this spring. The coffeehouse was located on Marshall Street since the early 2000s.
Garton said there were doubters who thought the move would send the café into the red but in reality, it has been the opposite.
"Everyone thought we were going to go out of business and they didn't know where people were going to park," he said. "But there is parking right behind us … it is much better here and there is so much happening in the West End right now."
Garton said he purchased the market 12 years ago so there was some time to prepare for the move.
"It gave us a chance to make it exactly how we wanted it or mostly so for the actual move we closed in March and it took two months," he said. "Which I think is really good because we had to move every piece of equipment and plum and wire everything in."
He said the move went smoothly even if there was a lot of back and forth.
"I made about 130 trips in my Forester with all of the stuff I could move — the smaller stuff. Then we hired a guy for one day and he moved all of the big stuff it was pretty miraculous and went well," he said. "We actually moved in without air conditioning and it just so happened to coincide with that hot spell. It was like 95 to 100 in here for the first five weeks and it was horrible but people are still coming."
Now into the winter months, Garton said business is continuing as expected.
He said the new location is twice as big as the old one.
"It feels like four times as big, but it is actually twice as big," he said. "It is not a lot more seating – I think we might have increased by maybe 10. It is less snug."
As for the menu, the Gartons are sticking to what works and what patrons have grown to love on Brewhaha's menu isn't going anywhere.
"It's is the same menu but just because over the years business patterns have changed," he said. "When we first opened you couldn't get a fried egg croissant anywhere now you can basically get one in a gas station. A lot of things that were unique back then are pretty much everywhere but we do still have a few unique items."
Tags: coffeeshop,
