Old Bridge Pub- Slow down and simplify

Old Bridge Pub in the Village will reopen this week after their annual fall break with some big changes. The new menu is traditional Italian, and the dining room is smaller. It will also be a sit down, full service restaurant.

The owners say the new concept is a result of what the restaurant industry has faced in the last two years.

“Now that labor issues and supply shortages have become national news, everyone understands that businesses have to adapt,” says co-owner Emily Bertino. “It became obvious by August this year that we had to make adjustments to stay functional. We were serving 300 people per night from a small kitchen with two cooks and two bartenders. Wait time for food was almost two hours. That is not the experience we want for our guests or staff. We are grateful for the business, but it was not sustainable, even going into winter. We needed to create a better environment .”

The new dining room has only six tables, and reservations will be required for parties over six people. All menu items will still be available for takeout, including pizza, entrees and beverages.

Chef and co-owner Louie Bertino says he is excited about the new menu. “These are some of my favorite recipes and I can’t wait to cook them for everyone. I’ve wanted to introduce this food for a while, but there was no time or space for it. The situation with suppliers gets worse all the time, so we had to make the decision to reduce the menu. We chose to simplify and do all homemade Italian. Then we thought why not just make it a small Italian restaurant? So we did.”

The Bertinos admit they are taking a risk with such a drastic change, but they think Bigfork will like it. They added that they are not changing the casual atmosphere of the pub. “Its not pretentious or uptight. The Caddyshack poster is still in the dining room.”

Old Bridge Pub will open on Thursday, November 11th at 4pm. Menu is on website (oldbridgepubmt.com), Facebook and Google. 406-420-2828 for reservations.