Cody O’Kelly, owner and president of Hunky Hound Handlers, with his dogs Mia, a black lab, and Tepper, a Weimaraner, outside HHH Canine Lodge and Ranch at 332 Norfolk Road in East Canaan.
EAST CANAAN — With cozy quarters, canine cuisine and professional handlers, HHH Canine Lodge & Ranch opened its doors in March.
The operation at 332 Norfolk Road in East Canaan is run by Cody O’Kelly, owner and president of Hunky Hound Handlers, who has recently expanded to include the location formerly known as Pooch Palace.
O’Kelly assured customers that the retail store at 11 Railorad St. will remain open and “continue offering raw food, gently cooked kibble options, supplements and nutrition guidance, and grooming, while the Canine Lodge & Ranch will handle boarding, training, and structured care.”
“The expansion isn’t just about adding more services — it’s about raising the standard for dog care in a way that makes sense,” O’Kelly said. “Everything we do is about helping dogs live their best lives in the real world — not just when they’re with us, but in their everyday lives with their owners.”
HHH is dedicated to the “real world approach” to dogs. “This means focusing on what actually works, not just what’s trending,” O’Kelly said.
O’Kelly’s inspiration came years ago. “It all started with a love for adventure and a realization that most traditional pet care wasn’t meeting dogs’ real needs.”
His Australian Labradoodle, Nikki, was his first hiking partner. “When she wasn’t up for intense trails, I started bringing other dogs along. That led to running a hiking service, which turned into a deeper passion for structured exercise, training and nutrition.”
HHH’s real world approach consists of balanced training in which O’Kelly said they “use clear communication — both rewards and corrections — to help dogs gain confidence, reliability and off-leash freedom.” Custom nutrition is important with “everything from raw feeding guidance to supplements that actually support a dog’s needs.”
Also key is adventure and movement. O’Kelly stresses “Dogs need more than a walk around the block. That’s why we prioritize pack hikes, structured outdoor time and confidence-building activities that help them thrive.”
HHH Canine Lodge & Ranch offers an “a la carte menu” of activities to choose from for the dogs staying there.
“We offer standard boarding, private luxury suites, and double kennels for multi-dog households. Dogs staying with us get structured outdoor time, enrichment activities, and a calm, balanced environment — not just a place to sleep,” O’Kelly said.
O’ Kelly will also offer workshops on topics such as nutrition and training.
HHH Canine Lodge & Ranch is open and ready for guests.
To contact HHH and ask about services, visit www.hunkyhoundhandlers.com and fill out the contact form to register or call or text 959-227-9013.
Christine Bates
308 Main Street in Lakeville, where Black Squirrel antiques store once operated, sold after 306 days on the market for $970,000, below its original listing price of $1,200,000.
SALISBURY – The 12-month trailing median price for a single-family home in Salisbury, excluding condominiums, was $875,000 for the period ending May 31, 2026.
The $875,000 median was 24% lower than the $1,145,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending May 31, 2025, but 5% higher than the $830,000 median reported for the comparable period ending May 31, 2024.
The number of homes sold during the 12 months ending May 31, 2026, rose to 53, compared with 47 sales during the prior 12-month period ending May 31, 2025, and matched the 53 sales recorded during the period ending May 31, 2024. The annual sales record was set for the period ending May 31, 2021, when 117 homes were sold.
Inventory of residential properties on the market increased slightly to 20 listings in early June. The high-end market continued to dominate, with 14 homes listed above $1 million and just six priced below the town’s median sale price of $875,000.
Furnished seasonal and academic rentals remained plentiful in early June, with 24 homes available. Asking prices ranged from $3,850 per month for an academic-year rental to $65,000 for the summer season.
Salisbury Transfers in May
62 Reservoir Road – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 2.1 acres transferred by 62 Reservoir LLC to Michele Ganeless for $1,350,000
11-17 Valley Road – 5 bedroom/5 bath/2 half bath with an accessory apartment on 21.2 acres transferred by David and Cynthia Edelson to Brian and Tracey Early for $4,900,000
5 Valley Road – 4 bedroom/4 bath modern farmhouse on 3 acres transferred by Robert Blanchard and Carol Lynne Vargo to Weatherly-White Carley Trustee for Carl Weatherly-White Revocable Trust for $2,850,000
260 Taconic Road – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath home built in 1880 on 2.5 acres transferred by Seig Sacks to Riccard Properties LLC for $2,000,000
460 Wells Hille Road – 3 bedroom/2 bath ranch on 4.9 acres transferred by Lawrence and Cynthia Hoage to Russell and Lisa Hoage for $41,454
308 Main Street – 4 bathroom retail store on .76 acres transferred by Thomas Emerick and Joanne Beveridge to William Popadic and Amber Finlay for $970,000
36 Rocky Lane – 3 bedroom/2 bath home on .3 acres transferred by John James Ball to Rose-Louise Kealey and Daniel Scaggs for $900,000
240 Main Street – 4 bedroom/2 bath on .55 acres sold by McBride Builders LLC to Emily Vail for $688,000
247 Twin Lakes Road – 3 bedroom/3 bath home on 4.5 acres sold by Barry and Helena Schuman to Robert and Sarah Slocum for $3,255,000
16 Westmount Road – 5 bedroom/5 bath home on 10 acres transferred by Sara Wardell and Donald Hendel Trustee for Richard D Wardell Second A & R Revocable Trust to Robert Lloyd Blanchard and Carol Lynne Vargo for $1,600,000
17 Perry Street – 3 bedroom/2 bath newly built home transferred by Salisbury Housing Trust Inc to Dan Bolonani for $250,000
6 Juniper Ledge Lane – 4 bedroom/3.5 bath home on 2 acres transferred by Kenneth Fields and Nicole Noya to Rebecca Kostopoulos for $875,000
60 Selleck Road – 3 bedroom/3.5 bath home on 1.97 acres transferred by Carlos Arrendondo to Eunice Byun and Daniel Lee for $2,500,000
* Town of Salisbury real estate transfers recorded between May 1, 2026, and May 31, 2026, provided by Salisbury Town Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS and market statistic from InfoSparks. Note that monthly recorded transfers may lag sales by a number of days and include properties not appearing on the MLS.Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
Lakeville Journal
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Truck strikes utility pole
On Saturday, June 6, Selenne Juanito, 29, of Millerton, N.Y., was eastbound on Salisbury Road in North Canaan in a 2012 Ford F350 Super Duty at approximately 11:30 p.m. when the vehicle ran off the side of the roadway at a curve, striking a utility pole. No injuries were reported and Juanito was issued an infraction for failure to maintain lane.
Driving without license
On Saturday, June 6, at approximately 4:30 p.m. Abner Lux Ubico, 19, of Millerton, N.Y., was westbound on Route 44 in North Canaan in a 2012 Subaru Legacy when the vehicle traveled off the side of the roadway, hitting a guardrail. No injuries were reported and the driver was issued an infraction for driving without a license.
Vehicle hits group of trees
Shortly before noon on Sunday, June 7, Brandon Wells,18, of Lakeville, was traveling on Wells Hill Road in Salisbury when he mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal and kept the steering wheel turned to the right. The vehicle, a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica, left the road and struck a sign and a group of trees. No injuries reported and the driver was issued a written warning for failure to maintain lane.
Rear-ended in Norfolk
On Thursday, June 11, at approximately 10 a.m., Lauren Foley, 43, of Canaan was eastbound on Route 44 in Norfolk at Shepherd Road, behind a 2015 Jeep drivenby Mercedes Vijay, 59, of Torrington. Foley’s 2006 Chevy Impala rear ended the Jeep as it was turning into a residential driveway. Foley was found at fault and was issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under a suspension, following too close and having an expired registration.
School bus hit by falling tree; no one hurt
On Thursday, June 11 at approximately 3:45 p.m. an All Star Transportation school bus with 19 passengers was northbound on Low Road near Grandview Lane in Sharon when the bus was struck by a falling tree. Neither the driver, Jean Kearns, 57, of West Cornwall, nor any of the children, who ranged in age from 6 to 14, reported injuries when examined by EMS, and the driver was not found at fault in the accident. There was minor damage to the front bumper of the bus.
Truck snags guardrail
On Saturday, June 13, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Tristan Miller, 22, of Unionville, was westbound on Johnson Road in Canaan in a 2002 Ford F250 Super Duty when the truck left the roadway and struck a guardrail. Miller was issued a warning for failure to maintain lane and the Ford was towed from the scene.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send to editor@lakevillejournal.com.
Patrick L. Sullivan
The 35-meter ski jumping hill and tower will soon be ready for summer use.
SALISBURY – For generations, Satre Hill has come alive each winter as ski jumpers soar through the cold air during Jumpfest, which celebrated its 100th year in February. Soon, however, the iconic hill may be just as busy in the summer, as new infrastructure and artificial surfaces pave the way for year-round training.
The Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) is preparing to launch summer jumping, which could transform the venue into a nearly year-round jumping destination. SWSA hopes to attract young jumpers from New England and New York to train at Satre Hill during the summer, and eventually hopes to host a summer jumping event.
SWSA president Ken Barker said the ability to practice year-round helps the athletes. “Like any other sport, we can keep them focused and in the best condition,” he said.
Barker said the artificial surfaces, made out of plastic and ceramic, feel remarkably similar to real snow. One necessary component is running water, which is used to wet the surfaces being installed on the medium, 35-meter jump.
A well drilled last week marks a milestone for the venue.
“We’ve never had running water before,” said Barker on Saturday, June 13 at the hill as volunteers prepared for the next phase of the organization’s evolution. He said it’s been talked about for years.
Though the running water will not be used for snowmaking – Barker said the current operation relies on aging cisterns while SWSA develops plans for a future pond – it will support major events and will also make summer jumping possible.
Barker had samples of ceramic and plastic materials on hand. The plastic, he said, is called a shingle and will be attached to the landing hill in rows of eight. Installing them will take SWSA volunteers just a couple of days.
The ceramic tiles are being attached to the jump tower and must be screwed in, one at a time. Barker knows exactly how many there are – 680 – because he did the work.
He said one advantage of the ceramic tiles is that they make it unnecessary to add snow to the jump tower in the winter.
Not only will the water come in handy for off-season ski jumping, but also for big events like the Jane Lloyd Fund clambake set to take place in late July.
SWSA hopes to get its summer jumping activities underway by the end of July or beginning of August. Barker said there will likely be about two dozen participants, all youngsters from the Tri-State area who have been regular SWSA participants for years.
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Christian Murray
Michael Moore with his son, Lucian. Friends and family say much of his life revolved around raising his son.
LAKEVILLE — Friends and coworkers say Michael Moore spent years rebuilding his life.
Now, they are grappling not only with the loss of a friend and employer, but with the loss of a father whose life had come to revolve around his 7-year-old son, Lucian.
The 40-year-old painting contractor was killed June 1 in Ashley Falls. Authorities allege that fellow painting contractor Cole Bushnell was responsible. Bushnell, 41, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and is being held without bail.
Friends say Moore had overcome addiction, regained custody of his son and built a business that employed people who, like him, were trying to get back on their feet. He was also talking about marriage after more than six months in a committed relationship.
For many who knew both Moore and Bushnell, the allegations remain difficult to reconcile. The two men had known each other since their days at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, worked together for years and remained close friends.
“They were best friends,” Moises Reyes, a painter who was employed by Moore, said.
Friends say Moore and Bushnell spoke daily, shared workers on larger jobs, consulted one another on estimates and occasionally helped each other financially when business slowed.
One friend and fellow painter, who has known both men since childhood but didn’t want his name disclosed, said Bushnell served as a mentor to Moore as the younger contractor built his own business.
“Cole was like a mentor to him,” the friend said. “Whatever job one got, they would run it by the other.”
Friends said it was not uncommon for the two men to loan each other money when cash flow tightened, a reality of running small contracting businesses.
“I saw it both ways,” the friend said. “Mike would help Cole. Cole would help Mike.”
That history has left many searching for answers.
“I don’t understand how it happened,” the friend said.
Rebuilding his life
Those closest to Moore acknowledge that he struggled with addiction during his younger years and had several encounters with the criminal justice system. But friends say those challenges became the foundation of a turnaround.
After becoming sober, Moore focused on rebuilding his life, establishing his own business and gaining sole custody of Lucian nearly four years ago.
“He got clean. He got his son back,” said Joey St. John, who worked for Moore but had been friends with him for nearly a decade.
Friends describe that achievement as one of Moore’s proudest accomplishments. They say much of what he did in recent years revolved around creating stability for his son. Lucian’s mother, they said, had her own personal struggles.
A father first
By all accounts, Lucian was the center of Moore’s life.
Friends describe him as a single father whose daily routine revolved around his son. He dropped him off at daycare in Winsted most days and picked him up at the end of the day.
Friends say Moore worked hard to regain custody of Lucian and was devoted to raising him.
“Lucian loved his daddy more than anything,” said Jacklyn Evon, whose husband grew up with Moore and was a friend.
Her husband, Bryan, attended Kellogg Elementary School in Falls Village with Moore in the 1990s, when there were only about 10 children in the grade, with just three being boys.
“They were like brothers,” she said, noting that Moore gave a lively speech at their wedding.
Following Moore’s death, friends and family members have rallied around Moore’s son.
Evon launched a GoFundMe campaign noting that Moore was Lucian’s sole caregiver, provider and primary source of support. The fundraiser seeks to help cover counseling, educational expenses, daily needs and long-term financial support for the boy.
“No amount can replace Michael or erase the pain of this loss,” the fundraiser states. “However, together we can help ease some of the burdens that now lie ahead for Lucian.”
The GoFundMe had generated about $18,000 in a week, with about 150 contributors.
Evon said that Lucian has a strong foundation but there is uncertainty ahead.
A crew left behind
Moore’s death has also left his workers grieving and uncertain about the future.
Many of the people Moore employed were themselves rebuilding their lives after addiction, incarceration or other setbacks.
Reyes said Moore gave him an opportunity after he completed rehabilitation in 2025 and began trying to turn his life around.
“He uplifted me,” Reyes said. “He pointed me in a better direction. I am completely heartbroken by this.”
Reyes said Moore believed in him and helped him develop skills that allowed him to earn a better living. Reyes was working at Burger King in Torrington before Moore hired him.
“If my motivation went down, he would help me,” Reyes said.
Today, Reyes is still trying to process the loss.
“It’s hard to wake up in the morning and concentrate,” he said, who now has to find a new job. “Every 30 minutes I feel grief.”
Meanwhile, St. John was also recovering from addiction and needed a job. “He’s like, ‘I’ll give you some days, come work for me.’ I said: ‘All right.’”
St. John said he became friends with Moore through their shared love of music and Moore’s passion for playing guitar.
Fernando, who didn’t provide his last name but worked for Bushnell, said he is struggling to process the alleged homicide and is now in therapy. He was the employee who was allegedly shown Moore’s body by Bushnell on June 1.
St. John, who had planned to spend the summer working for Moore, has been making deliveries through DoorDash while searching for another job.
Others remain uncertain about what comes next.
Coworkers say Moore looked after his crew, bought lunch, solved problems and treated employees with respect.
Remembering the man they knew
Many of Moore’s friends say his death came at a time when he appeared to have found a path forward.
They said the timing of his death was tragic, since he had got back on track and had rebuilt his life around his family and work.
“He poured all of his energy into his son,” Evon said. “And whatever he had left, he put into his business.”
Christian Murray
The greenhouse at the Ashley Falls property, where Michael Moore’s body was allegedly found.
LAKEVILLE — Michael Moore started June 1 like most other workdays.
The 40-year-old painting contractor arrived at a Lakeville jobsite with his crew and began preparing a boathouse on Interlaken Road for painting.
Nothing appeared unusual.
By the end of the day, Moore would be dead, and longtime friend and fellow contractor Cole Bushnell, 41, would be at the center of a murder investigation that has shaken up local residents.
Based on interviews with Moore’s coworkers, a Bushnell employee who says he was shown Moore’s body, and comments from Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue, a clearer picture has emerged of Moore’s final known hours before his body was discovered at Bushnell’s Ashley Falls property.
A routine morning
Joey St. John, who had known Moore for nearly a decade and planned to work for him this summer, arrived at the Interlaken Road job in Lakeville at around 8:20 a.m. He drove fellow worker Moises Reyes with him from Torrington. Moore and his cousin Paul arrived in Moore’s vehicle from Winsted, St. John said.
“It was a normal day,” St. John said, noting that it was the crew’s first day at the job and they were scraping and sanding surfaces in preparation for priming.
Bushnell arrives
Bushnell arrived at the jobsite sometime between 10 and 10:30 a.m., according to St. John.
Moore and Bushnell had worked together for years and were close friends whose crews frequently collaborated on projects throughout the Northwest Corner.
According to Reyes, Moore hugged Bushnell when he arrived.
The gesture struck him only in hindsight. At the time, nobody thought anything of it.
The two men often left jobsites together to inspect potential work, prepare estimates, collect payments or discuss upcoming projects.
“They did it all the time,” St. John recalled.
Both St. John and Reyes said they saw Moore leave in Bushnell’s truck. Moore left his vehicle behind and told workers they were heading to New Marlborough, Massachusetts, to look at a job.
Reyes expected Moore to return later in the day as he typically did. Instead, it would be the last time he saw him alive.
Coworkers said Moore was a devoted father who routinely picked up his 7-year-old son from daycare after work. His failure to return would later alarm them.
A call to New Marlborough
While Moore and Bushnell were together, Bushnell’s crew was working the first day of a project in New Marlborough.
Among them was Fernando, who didn’t provide his last name and who had worked for Bushnell for roughly 2½ years after previously working for Moore.
Fernando said Bushnell called and texted him around 11:45 a.m., asking him and the rest of the crew to come to his Ashley Falls home. Bushnell told them there was pizza and urged them to hurry because he had somewhere else to be.
“A normal day, priming walls,” Fernando said of the work they had been doing before receiving the message.
The greenhouse
Fernando said they arrived at Bushnell’s property on Polikoff Road at around 12:30 p.m.
The first thing he noticed was a damaged fence. The workers were asked to repair a fence post and began unloading tools.
Then Fernando noticed blood on Bushnell’s face.
“When I see Cole, I see blood on his face,” Fernando said.
“‘What happened? What happened?’” he recalled asking.
At first, Fernando thought Bushnell had been involved in an accident.
Soon after, Fernando said Bushnell allegedly told him, “‘I’ve got a problem. Let me show you something.’”
Bushnell led him to a small greenhouse behind the house and the door was closed behind him.
According to Fernando, Bushnell lifted a mattress inside the greenhouse, revealing what Fernando described as a body wrapped in a tarp.
Fernando said he asked who it was.
According to Fernando, Bushnell allegedly responded: “It’s Mike.”
“I said, ‘What?’” Fernando recalled.
“It’s Mike,” Bushnell repeated, according to Fernando.
“I said, ‘What happened? What are you doing?’”
Bushnell reportedly replied: “‘This is not your problem, it’s my problem.’”
Fernando said he was shaken and wanted to leave immediately. He said the other workers never saw Moore’s body.
Fernando and the crew then left the property.
Fernando said he had no idea what had occurred before his arrival. However, Bushnell and Moore never arrived in New Marlborough.
Fernando then got into his van with his workers and drove to Troop B in North Canaan, less than two miles from Bushnell’s home. They arrived at Troop B before 1:30 p.m.
According to authorities, Bushnell followed Fernando and his colleagues in his vehicle but stopped after they pulled over on the side of the road. Once he drove away, they continued to the state police barracks.
District Attorney Shugrue later confirmed much of the timeline, including that a worker had been shown Moore’s body under a mattress in a greenhouse after arriving at the property.
Acting strange
According to reports, Bushnell’s fiancée said he appeared normal Monday morning. By noon, however, he seemed agitated.
She also told authorities, according to court records, that she received a text message from him telling her not to come home. Furthermore, she told police that Bushnell had been acting strangely and appeared paranoid in the days leading up to June 1.
Waiting for Mike
Back in Lakeville, workers grew concerned when Moore failed to return.
St. John said he called Moore twice around 2:30 p.m. to tell him he had to leave for a dentist appointment but received no response.
By about 4 p.m., Reyes said repeated attempts to reach Moore had also failed.
Reyes said he then called Bushnell directly.
“‘Where’s Mike?’” Reyes recalled asking.
According to Reyes, Bushnell responded, “‘I don’t f----ing know,’” before ending the conversation.
For the workers, the answer made little sense. Moore had left the jobsite with Bushnell that morning. They grew worried when he never made it back.
Police become involved
Connecticut troopers notified the Sheffield Police Dept., who responded to the Polikoff Road property and secured the scene before contacting the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Shugrue said that Moore was fatally assaulted inside the greenhouse and his body was then placed under the mattress.
At Bushnell’s arraignment, prosecutors said Moore suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and lacerations to his back, likely caused by a small knife.
However, Shugrue said last week that there were additional injuries, including wounds to his legs. “Lower legs and other parts of the body. He was struck and stabbed multiple times.”
Shugrue also said that investigators have recovered what they believe were the weapons used in the attack.
“There have been weapons recovered, but I’m not going to comment more on that, other than that they’re being forensically tested, and there’s significant amounts of material on those weapons.”
Bushnell was arrested June 1 and charged with murder. He was arraigned June 2. He has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail.
Bushnell was not home when police first arrived.
Investigators arrested him when he returned to the property at 5:23 p.m. after being told there was a fire there, though no fire had occurred. Authorities believe confusion among nearby residents who saw emergency vehicles at the scene may have led to reports of a fire, prompting Bushnell’s return.
Court records state that when Bushnell returned, he was wearing clothing stained with a reddish-brown substance consistent with blood. He was taken into custody without incident.
According to court records, Bushnell had asked his fiancée the Friday before Moore’s death for access to the surveillance cameras at his home. The cameras had been in place for some time, and she told investigators he had never asked before.
On June 1, she noticed the cameras had been turned off and were facing different directions.
Questions remain
Although investigators have outlined portions of the case in court, many questions remain unanswered.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the full sequence of events between the time Moore left the Lakeville jobsite and the time Fernando arrived at Bushnell’s Ashley Falls home.
Shugrue has said investigators continue to gather evidence and await additional forensic results. However, investigators have noted that Moore and Bushnell went to the Ashley Falls property alone.
Investigators believe the dispute centered on money from a job that Moore and Bushnell were working on together. Shugrue said Moore was expecting to receive a $10,000 payment on June 1 related to the job, but Bushnell collected the money on May 31.
According to investigators, Bushnell believed Moore had been stealing from him and decided to get the payment. Shugrue said he believes Moore was unaware Bushnell had collected the money until the day of his death.
Investigators found no evidence that Moore had stolen from Bushnell.
“He thought Mr. Moore was stealing from him,” Shugrue said. “That did not appear to be the case.”
What’s next
Bushnell remains held without bail and is scheduled to return to Southern Berkshire District Court on July 16.
Prosecutors plan to present the case to a Berkshire County grand jury. If an indictment is issued, the case will move to Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield for a trial.
Shugrue said the case was particularly tragic because Moore and Bushnell had been friends since high school and were both fathers.
“A poor man has lost his life, and he’s got a young child, and a man who had a child as well is incarcerated, so it’s a very sad situation.”
Alec Linden
The cozy digs inside the 19th century Infinity Hall are ready for hungry patrons following the Wednesday, June 10 soft opening.
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.
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