Family restaurant opens in Ludlow
Toolbox
By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: November 23, 2009
LUDLOW — The moose is loose in Ludlow.
Reading resident Gary Barto is hoping the Cool Moose Café in the space formerly occupied by Archie's Steakhouse, will fill a much-needed niche in town.
"There really aren't any kid-friendly places in town," said Barto, who opened the doors of the restaurant he co-owns with his wife, Susan Barto, on Nov. 7. The children's menu, which features a smiling moose suitable for coloring, offers six menu items, including burgers, pasta or a turkey dinner, for less than $10.
"This is a family-oriented ski resort," said Barto, as he gestured across the street to the entrance to Okemo, whose Jackson Gore Inn recently topped Parents magazine's list of best resorts for families. "I wanted to make sure I priced things so I didn't alienate anybody."
Children won't be the only ones comfortable in the Cool Moose Café. Sports fans will likely enjoy the four high-definition televisions, which will be tuned to football when the bar opens up at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoons. The bar has eight beers on tap, including local flavors from Switchback, Long Trail and Magic Hat.
Barto has also decorated the walls with sports memorabilia, including his collection of Red Sox baseball cards from 1971.
He must have had his tourist client base in mind when he decorated, because the walls also include Yankees collectibles.
"People say, 'How can you put the Yankees next to the Red Sox?'" Barto said. "But everybody's welcome here."
Barto's opening followed a 10-week renovation of the space, which sat vacant after Archie's closed at the end of the ski season.
"I did it all myself, so it's all sweat equity," said Barto, who declined to say what the renovations cost, but indicated what the economic impact was. "I spent all my retirement on this, so basically this is my retirement."
The 135-seat restaurant, which employs 21 locals, is positioned to draw a lot of traffic from the crush of traffic coming off the mountain on a Saturday afternoon, and Barto plans to serve dinner until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday to catch hungry skiers after a long drive up from the city.
For Barto, the Ludlow location is perfect.
"It's my life-long dream to own a bar and restaurant, and I figured out Ludlow would be the best place to do it because of the year-round business," he said.
For more information, visit www.coolmoosecafevt.com.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
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