Connect Restaurant opens second location in North Brookfield
Husband and wife Joel and Ciarah Santos of Marlborough founded Connect Restaurant in downtown Spencer in September 2022 and since have expanded to another location in North Brookfield.
The Spencer restaurant at 13 Mechanic St., home to the former Five Loaves Bakery & Café, is a destination for scratch-made Italian American cuisine, with Joel Santos as the executive chef. The second concept, Connect Restaurant & Lounge, is located in the former Statz Restaurant and Lounge, 341 North Main St., North Brookfield, which closed permanently in February 2023. The two Connect restaurants are similar in size, but the newest location boasts outdoor seating, according to Ciarah Santos, who said al fresco dining was important in the couple’s decision to lease the North Brookfield property. “Seasonal seating attracts customers to a restaurant,” she said. “It’s a big draw.”
Joel Santos has spent most of his career as a hotel chef, while his wife worked front-of-the-house and waitress positions in Central Massachusetts and Middlesex County. In Spencer, the entrepreneurial couple launched their first restaurant venture together.
Diners can stop at the Spencer Connect for Breakfast/Brunch, lunch, $8.99 specials Monday through Thursday and dinner, with entrées that include Surf 'n' Turf, Chimichurri Steak, Chicken Supreme and more. The chef’s menu offers variety of pasta dishes that range from Chicken Carbonara, Bolognese and Pasta & Meatballs to Beef Lasagna, Chicken Parmesan and Pasta Primavera. Order from a selection of burgers, sandwiches, kids meals ($5.99) and desserts. Also, appetizers, soups and salads.
The Santoses chose the name Connect because it traces back to a church the couple attended and conveys their message to “connect.” At each restaurant table, guests will find a box and a message, “Unplug and connect.” The owners encourage guests to drop their cellphones into the box and communicate with each other. So far, it works, said Santos.
Connect is family, with Ciarah Santos’s mother, Pamela Ross, manager of the Spencer restaurant. She also is on the waitstaff team. “It was important that we open an affordable, family-style restaurant,” said Santos. The kitchen and waitstaff make a great team, she said, and people in Spencer and surrounding towns have been supportive. An informal social media survey led the Santoses to Spencer, indicating residents in town were ready for a new restaurant and one that offered Italian food, according to Santos.
The Spencer restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Seating, 85; Full liquor license. Small private dining room. Visit www.connectrestaurant.com for more information. Call (774) 745-0040 for reservations, catering and private parties. Takeout and curbside pickup are available. Parking in lot across the street from restaurant.
In late August, Ciarah Santos said Connect Restaurant & Lounge in North Brookfield would have a September opening. The menu will be different from Spencer, she said, and a full liquor license is planned. Updates on both restaurants are posted on social media.
The Worcester County food scene heats up!
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: The Dish: Connect Restaurant expands to North Brookfield
