Taking the Long View

Tavern on the Hill Owners Are Providing Much More Than Scenery

By KEVIN FLANDERS

“The view is just gravy.”

That was a line from a Republican review of the Tavern on the Hill restaurant from several years ago. Many other things were written, of course, about this establishment located in the shadow of Mount Tom near the Easthampton-Holyoke line — regarding the food, the service, and the experience.

But that single line has lived on at this landmark, and over the years it has become equal parts unofficial slogan, rallying cry, and mission statement.

That’s because the view is, well, spectacular. It’s a draw, and it’s probably what people will remember most from a visit to this eatery on Route 141. But, while powerful, the scenery is generally not enough to bring people back, said Lawrence Guyette, a long-time restaurateur who bought the property — operating then as a sandwich and ice-cream shop — with his father-in-law, Jim Cooper, in 2005.

“Growing up in Easthampton, I knew this location was different than anything else in the area, a really cool place for a restaurant. When we found out it was available, we were really excited to purchase it,” said Guyette, who serves as owner-chef. From the beginning, he added, he understood that quality food and service, not the view out the windows or from the parking lot, would generate repeat business.

And because he’s been able to provide those tangibles, the tavern has enjoyed solid success over the past decade, despite a mostly sluggish economy and a host of other challenges.

Cooper died in 2013, but his legacy is carried on each day by his son-in-law and his daughter, Amy Guyette, the restaurant’s general manager. Running the business as a family gives them a great deal of pride, but most rewarding to the Guyettes are the community connections the restaurant has enabled them to make, a reflection of Cooper’s mentality.

“He was always really active with the restaurant,” Amy said of her father. “He loved helping the guests with anything they needed, even parking their cars in the lot. He always wore Hawaiian shirts, so our staff will have a special day coming up where we all wear Hawaiian shirts to work.”

Like most local restaurant owners, the Guyettes have faced challenges over the last few years in competing for customers. With new establishments recently opening in the area and national chain restaurants continuing to benefit from massive marketing campaigns, the competition is exceedingly stiff in the restaurant industry.

“Two years ago was a peak for us, the best we’ve done so far; everything was firing on all cylinders, and business was fantastic,” Lawrence said. “Since then, we’ve seen a dip in the last year. A few new restaurants have opened lately, which makes it a little tougher for everyone in the business. Overall, things seem to be starting to improve again lately, especially for dinner.”

A restaurant-business veteran for nearly 30 years, he understands the importance of constantly adapting and improving to provide guests with a quality experience year after year. Oftentimes, those improvements appear on the menu, especially when special requests are made. Guyette has been experimenting with smoked ribs in recent months, much to the delight of those who’ve tried them, and he also added burgers to the dinner menu a few weeks ago.

“We had so many requests for burgers that we decided to put them on the dinner menu,” he said. “It’s a new addition that has worked out really well for us.”

The Guyettes are also contemplating a weekly steak night, with various selections available to guests. They are still in the process of working out the details, but it’s likely the concept will become reality.

For this issue and BusinessWest’s annual Restaurant Guide, we ventured up Route 141 for the view, but, more importantly, for an in-depth look at an evolving entrepreneurial success story.

Peaking Their Interest

Depending on when they grew up in town, Easthampton residents have differing childhood memories of the property where Tavern on the Hill stands.

Way back in the Roaring Twenties, a small establishment called the Green Candle Inn served as a popular stop for travelers navigating up the mountain. Two decades later, in 1944, The Old Mill became a local favorite for its sandwiches, its pinball machine, and, of course, the panoramic view.

Amy has fond memories of the place from her younger days. During her high-school years. she worked at the sandwich and ice-cream shop that operated atop the hill at the time, and now she’s come full circle by returning to the property as the manager of her husband’s restaurant.

“We used to always talk about what it would be like to own the place and have our own restaurant up here,” she said. “Anyone in this area knows about the place and the view, so that’s definitely a big plus.”

Operating on a minimal budget, Cooper and the Guyettes spent two months renovating the building before opening the restaurant to guests.

Over the years, the menu has evolved somewhat, but has focused on what’s known in the business as ‘creative American.’ Dinner options include everything from grilled salmon to pasta jambalaya; blackened beef tips to several burger options, including one named after the mountain next door. Prices range from $11 to $27.

In addition to its lunch and dinner service, the restaurant also regularly hosts private functions, with about 50 such events augmenting business each year. Lawrence said he’s seen a rise in the number of private events booked in recent years, particularly after-funeral functions.

“It’s always helpful when individuals or business owners recommend us to their family and friends. That really helps us secure additional events,” he said.

The view certainly helps with the task of filling the dining room with people and the calendar with events, but the Guyettes stressed repeatedly that much more is needed to succeed in an ultra-competitive marketplace where an ever-more-demanding dining public has myriad options.

Thus, they put the accent on building relationships and earning the trust of customers — as well as repeat business — through consistently reliable service.

“The relationships are definitely the best part of the business,” Amy said. “I love having relationships with our customers and getting to see their kids grow up. Maintaining great relationships with the staff is huge as well; we’re all a family here.”

Indeed, one tenet of this industry is that no establishment can survive for very long without a solid staff. The Guyettes recognize the importance of not only hiring experienced staff members, but keeping them in the Tavern on the Hill family.

One server and almost the entire kitchen staff have remained with the restaurant since 2005, a difficult feat to accomplish in an industry known for frequent turnover. Amy described hiring qualified, dependable staff members as one of the lesser-known challenges in the business, a challenge she prefers to avoid by aiming to keep the staff intact.

“It definitely isn’t easy to find people you can really count on. You want to hang on to those people when you get them,” she said.

Tavern on the Hill boasts a staff of up to 50 people during its busiest summer months, including bartenders to work the indoor bar and the outdoor setup on the deck.

In addition to relationships with customers and staff, the Guyettes also believe in establishing them with the community as well. They believe restaurant owners have a responsibility to be active in civic life, a belief evidenced by their continued commitment to community service.

Tavern on the Hill has served as a sponsor for several area sports teams in the past decade, in addition to donating raffle prizes to the Southampton Athletic Assoc. and Boys and Girls Clubs in Chicopee and Holyoke.

Moreover, as the president of Easthampton Friends of Football — an organization that has been striving to build a new football field for high-school and youth teams — Amy has been committed to working with city leaders to help secure Community Preservation Act funding for the project.

“I feel like it’s an obligation for us to support the community that supports us every day,” she said. “If people come out and spend their money here, then we have an obligation to put money back into their communities.”

As both the owner of the restaurant and a chef who prepares meals there, Lawrence Guyette has been thrilled by the support Tavern on the Hill has received from the community. He sees it every day, from the lunch regulars to a sometimes surprising dinner guest.

“You never know who’s going to come through those doors,” he said. “You always meet different people — firefighters, police officers, the mayor, people who have dinner here with their families or a quick lunch meeting — and it’s pretty special to have a chance to get to know so many members of the community. We really appreciate all of the support we get.”

View to the Future

One can certainly see a long way from the tavern, out over Easthampton and other towns to the west.

One thing you can’t see, obviously, is the future; no one in any business can do that.

What the Guyettes are trying to do is anticipate it, and be ready for the likelihood that it will include an increasingly challenging environment in which to operate and even more choices for the dining public.

Which means they have to work even harder on that unofficial mission statement and make sure the line from that aforementioned restaurant review remains as true as the day it was written.

Simply put, the view must always be just gravy.