Seeking a new start for former Wandering Moose

After 16 years at its riverside location in West Cornwall, adjacent to the historic Covered Bridge, the Wandering Moose restaurant closed on Sunday, Feb. 19.

Owner Russ Sawicki said that the decision to close was a long-term decision that he and his wife and business partner, Sharon Sawicki, started thinking about last autumn.

“It was time,” he said. “We started thinking about it last November, decided to take a while to evaluate and re-evaluate the idea, think about it. Our resolve was firm, so we have closed.”

The Sawickis continue to live in the apartment above the restaurant. They have already been contacted by other potential business owners who would like to lease the restaurant space.

“I was able to open the Wandering Moose because Bob Laigle made it possible for me to pay for the business over time. I want to do the same thing and find someone young who wants to get started in the business. I want to be able to help them with the equipment and let them get started slowly.”

A culinary school graduate, Sawicki had been a chef at The Boathouse in Lakeville for several years. He was offered an opportunity to be executive chef for a chain called Be Our Guest, but ultimately decided he didn’t want a job that would keep him constantly on the road and away from his family. 

After leaving The Boathouse, he had spent some time at home and had enjoyed spending more time with his three children. 

“I even was able to see my son Zach hit the game-winning run in a Little League game that allowed his team to go to the World Series,” he said.

The Be Our Guest job would have been more financially lucrative, but he and his wife decided to earn less so they could have more family time. 

“I got to spend my life getting my three kids through college  and not missing much,” he said. 

“A lot of what we did was also to be part of the community,” he added, ticking off the many lasagna dinners and other fundraisers hosted at the restaurant over the years. 

“When the firefighters are doing a drill in the river, you give them free coffee, that’s just what you do,” he said. He also noted proudly that his son Zach is chief of the town’s EMTs.

In a letter to the Cornwall Chronicle newsletter about the restaurant closing, he made a frank but bittersweet statement that captured the sometimes feisty relationship he had with his customers.

“I know sometimes people said I was too passionate in my opinions or that I may have been gruff or grumpy,” he wrote. “Our lives were lived in front of you all. Some found our kindness; others might not have seen it. For those who felt we were less than welcoming, I am sorry. Sometimes the stress and pressure comes out where you don’t want it to. We only tried our best, and will continue to give back where we can.”

Anyone interested in leasing the restaurant space can contact Bain Real Estate at its West Cornwall office, which is next door.