The wait is over

What’s old is new again for Laura Borutski and Elliot Reynolds

After weeks of rumours and speculation as to where the former operators of The Hubb Eatery—sommelier Laura Borutski and chef Elliot Reynolds—will land, the wait is finally over. The couple are staying in Bloomfield and have purchased the building at 257 Main Street. The building is the former home of the CIBC, and once was the home of Jenkins grocery back in the 1950s. The couple were handed the keys just last week, and are already into the first stages of working with planners and builders to execute their vision. Borutski and Reynolds already know the direction of the menu and what they see for restoring the building. One thing is for sure, they will open the restaurant under a new name, and not under the moniker of their previous establishment. They will announce the new name, along with the logo and branding sometime soon.

“The Hubb was a great book. It had a beginning, middle and end. It was a great experience, but we want to write our own book now and start a new experience. We also want to take our time with the building and see what it says to us. It’s important for us and for the village of Bloomfield to make this building shine again,” says Borutski.

Laura Borutski and Elliot Reynolds outside the home of their new restaurant.

“We are so excited to start! I just want to grab a sledgehammer and start taking down walls. This is our baby, and the first time in our careers we get to build what we want from the ground up,” says Reynolds.

The restaurant will start small and expand through a series of stages. It will host an open concept kitchen where customers can watch Reynolds at work. There will be a handful of tables and banquettes inside and a seated bar for more casual dining. The couple also have plans for the second floor of the building with a public space for art shows, private dining, or possibly a loft-style accommodation. A future stage will see a patio along the side of the building, which will extend into the backyard, with views of the pond, and eventually a stone smokehouse that Reynolds can play with.

Keeping it fresh in relation to the offerings is also something that the couple is passionate about. They will feature a menu that is constantly in flux, changing weekly so that diners will get a different experience every time they return. They plan on letting the public know of these fast changes by connecting with people on social media, as well as creating weekly newsletter that will be sent to the inbox of any interested parties. With their extensive knowledge of the local area, the couple is eager to showcase the best of what the County has to offer.

“I want to go out every week and choose different wines and have them on the bar. With Elliot creating new menus all the time, the wine will have to change as well. It will keep us on our toes and in touch with everything going on in the County,” says Borutski.

Keeping close ties to the community is something that they will strive for. In describing the vibe of the place, they keep coming back to points of being accessible and comfortable to the local demographic. They envision their new project as being a place to hang out and enjoy a food offering that will be unique to the area. While most establishments around the County change their menus four times a year, Reynolds will be changing his menu four times a month.

There are a few unique items to this building that the couple are still figuring out what to do with. The biggest being two massive bank vault safe doors, one on the main floor and one in the basement. Each weighs well over a ton and they are hard to move even on their hinges. Reynolds and Borutski are open to any suggestions on what to do with them. Another important item that the couple would like mentioned is that they will have an ATM at the front, like there was before.

“It is an important piece for the village, we want to make sure people know the ATM is coming back,” says Borutski.

There is no question that the couple are committed to the County and the village of Bloomfield. They live just up the street and the passion for their craft is what has endeared them to so many people, locals and tourists alike. The announcement of the new location will put a lot a rumors and questions to rest, setting Reynolds and Borutski on a path to fulfilling a dream of opening their own place. With hard work and perseverance already in their DNA, they will be opening and pleasing customers again in no time.