The bad news: Weston Center lost its only restaurant a year ago.
The good news: It now has a dive bar.
So far, The Chase seems to be doing better than its predecessor, The Lunch Box.
Both are owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Josh and Jessica Tolk. And both are examples of the changing tastes and demographics — and the effects of COVID — on Weston.
Josh and Jessica Tolk.
Tolk — a commercial realtor — has worked with Weston Center since 1990. He and his wife bought the popular Lunch Box restaurant — the only place to eat (besides Georgetown or Westport) in 2014. They served breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week.
2019 was their best year. Then came the pandemic — and new arrivals, from Manhattan and Brooklyn.
“People’s eating habits changed,” Josh says. “They’re willing to hop in their car, and spend more money in fancier places. That’s why the Sherwood Diner closes early now.”
Three years ago, the Lunch Box ended breakfast.
Tolk — who grew up in Trumbull, and wrestled at Fairfield Prep — fondly remembers Westport bar/restaurants like Masters and Pumpernickel Pub. The only similar place now, he says, is the Black Duck.
He and Jessica missed those places. So they decided to recreate one, right there in Weston.
They spent 9 months making design and structural changes. A new entrance now directly faces Weston Road (Route 57).
On Memorial Day weekend, The Chase (named for the Tolks’ dog) was ready.
It wasn’t even a soft launch. The owners opened the doors, and hoped people would come.
They did.
Inside, they found the the trappings of a dive bar: beer cans from Tolk’s decades-old collection. Neon signs. A juke box. TVs in front; video games in back. Pizza and fried food. (The menu will be expanded soon.)
Beer cans galore …
It’s almost all bar seating, and high tops. There are 3 regular tables.
The only things lacking from a true dive bar, Tolk jokes, are “sawdust and filthy bathrooms.”
Soon, people were 3 deep at the bar.
… and a down-home vibe.
They keep coming.
They’re all ages — parents looking to socialize after the kids go to bed. Older folks happy to hang out. Restaurant workers from Westport, Norwalk, Bethel, Redding and Ridgefield, unwinding after their own places close.
The Chase opens at 3 p.m. Many patrons are there at last call — anywhere between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m.
On a recent night, Josh says, it was filled with “local families with kids, landscapers and a Hell’s Angel. I’d accomplished what I wanted!”
People “were caught off guard” when The Chase opened, Josh notes. There was some negativity on social media, but many more positive comments.
“It’s still early,” the owner says. “We’re going to grow organically.”
Meanwhile — with the Lunch Box closed — Westonites are clamoring for breakfast again. (Go figure.)
A new spot may open up nearby.
Watch this space — and, from a spot at The Chase, Weston Center — for news.
(Click here for The Chase website. Click here for the Instagram: @thechasebar. Click here for the Facebook page.)
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