Seven years after Reyneault “Reno” and Terry Arnault shuttered the doors of their village breakfast place, the doors swung open today (Dec. 12) welcoming old and new customers back.
Owners Richard Crocker and Christopher Yule launched their Village Breakfast Restaurant, at 8 West Prescott St., with 40 seats and a stack of local and regional newspapers. The restaurant is a throwback to the neighborhood eatery that the Arnaults cultivated for almost four decades, leaving a void in this northwest corner of town when they shut it down in 2009. The restaurant, which started in 1972 as the Village Store, became a draw for local residents and laborers on their way to work each morning. It drew a crowd of regulars who met and found a sense of community there in Westford’s Forge Village.
“People are so excited because they see the place is open,” said Crocker, noting that he and wife Denise purchased a load of potatoes at Shaw’s Supermarket in Groton over the weekend which drew attention from other customers. When Crocker explained that the potatoes were for hash browns at his restaurant, several customers within earshot expressed delight, he said.
“Everybody has a story about the place,” said Crocker, whose restaurant walls display a historical photo gallery of the place.
Yule is a Newton-based developer who has spent the past seven years restoring and converting the Abbot Mill on Pleasant Street into upscale apartments. With 130 units already built, Yule is on the verge of constructing another 102 units.
The foot traffic makes it a great location, said Crocker.
“We went through 15 dozen eggs (today),” he said. “It’s such a family friendly place. It’s bringing Forge Village back to life.”
Crocker said others had tried to buy the building from the Arnaults over the years, but the couple had refused to sell until now.
“The timing was right,” said Crocker.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, Mondays through Fridays, 6 to 11 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 7 a.m. to noon.
