NORFOLK – Four months after the Norfolk Pub – the only full-service restaurant in town – shuttered its doors, another has sprung up inside the historic walls of Infinity Hall, bringing an à la carte menu and a community gathering place back to the heart of downtown.
Infinity Bistro held its soft opening on Wednesday, June 10, marking the first restaurant service the 19th-century music hall has offered since shutting down its own food offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lisa Ludwig, general manager of Infinity Hall and a decade-plus veteran of the establishment, said she was pleased with the first night back, which had been advertised through social media and word of mouth.
“We were thrilled with the first night of our restaurant’s soft opening,” she said, noting that the strong turnout was largely due to local residents. “We received great support from the local patrons who were excited to see the restaurant return.”
Ludwig estimated that about 50 guests were served over the course of the evening.
She explained that the “soft opening” concept indicates that the business is still in the experimental phase as its services are rolled out.
“We’re using the first two weeks to conquer any hurdles that arise from doing something new,” she said, “and we appreciate the patience that our guests are currently showing, and we hope that continues.”
The menu currently offers American bistro fare, including shareable starters, salads, sides and mains, plus a selection of local and macro brews and an expanding list of wines and spirits. Dishes range from a $6 side salad or fries to the $18 NVFD (Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department) Firehouse Burger, which comes stacked with bacon, onion rings and cheese sauce.
Ludwig said that the menu remains a work in progress, and that she already had orders in for more wines and liquors as of Thursday afternoon.
She said the main adjustment will be the primarily QR code-based ordering system, designed to reduce wait times for rushed concert goers. While the restaurant will cater to the needs of the show audience, Ludwig said she remains committed to prioritizing its role as a community restaurant in a town where the only other food service stops at 2 p.m.
“If you don’t want to cook, come have a burger,” Ludwig said. “Come sit at the bar, have some wings – enjoy some time in town.”
Dining alongside his Norfolk-resident parents, Starling Childs said the speed with which the restaurant opened – conceived in late January and publicly announced less than a month ago during a packed public meeting – demonstrated “the flexibility and collaboration that makes Norfolk such a special place.”
His father, also Starling Childs, chimed in with a grin. “I’m just happy to be back in an air-conditioned, lovely space.”
As she chatted with patrons, bartender Leah Muller said the restaurant fills a much needed gap in dining options for locals and concert goers alike. “We don’t even have a Dunkin’ Donuts you can breeze through,” she said. “It’s 15 minutes one way or 15 the other.”
David Parks, the music venue’s head of security and an announcer, expressed his relief to have the restaurant back as he stood up from his meal. “You get to just depart once and have a great dinner and a show,” he said, thinking of concert goers who previously would have relied on the Norfolk Pub for a nearby dinner option before it closed at the end of January. “It’s a music and arts town, and this just adds to it,” he said.
Assistant Bistro Manager Brenda Horsefield said she was happy to see the cozy restaurant room brought back to life: “The space is worthy of people having a good time and enjoying a meal.”
Infinity Bistro is open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner service, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with reservations, once they go live after the soft opening period, cutting off at 8:30 p.m.
