From ‘Farmageddon’ to Farm-to-Table

If it’s true that all ends are beginnings, then the Mandrioli brothers putting West Concord Supermarket out to pasture may have made way for a farm-to-table restaurant in the space their family business occupied for nearly a century.

Kristin and Jim Canty, the Concord couple who bought the property from the Mandriolis on Good Friday, are developing plans for a new eatery in the green-and-white building at 24 Commonwealth Ave.

“I think that West Concord could use another restaurant,” Kristin Canty said. “Not only that, I think everyone could use my concept for a restaurant.”

For Canty—who directed and produced “Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Family Farms”—that concept includes sourcing from farms that use nutrient-dense practices, cooking with animal fats, emphasizing fermented foods and simmering their stocks 24-plus hours.

“If your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize it, then it won’t be in our restaurant,” she said.

The idea is to be committed to the farm-to-table concept, but not over the top about it.

“We don’t want to be preachy,” said Jim. “The most important thing is to have good food.”

A Planted Seed Sprouts

Opening a farm-to-table restaurant is an idea Kristin Canty has had for quite some time now. So when the opportunity came up to buy the West Concord Supermarket building from the Mandriolis, the Cantys seized it.

Given the size of the building, and with its location just off of Route 2 and right on the Commuter Rail and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, 24 Comm Ave seemed an ideal spot for the eatery.

But the building is only part of the preparation.

The Cantys bought a 260-acre farm in Bath, NH, where they’ll raise the livestock for the beef, pork, lamb and chicken on their restaurant menu. And Kristin is seeking out farmers and connecting with chefs and potential managers. There’s already been quite a bit of interest, she said.

"I think this is a way chefs like to cook," said Kristin, who has also taken management, bartending and sommelier classes. 

Some of the Specifics

The Cantys’ proposal to renovate the former West Concord Supermarket site and convert from retail to restaurant use has begun making the rounds before the town boards.

They’ll be asking for, among other things, a special permit to allow for about 4,800 square feet of restaurant space and for parking relief. And they'll be asked to allow the rail trail to run through the restaurant’s back parking lot, Jim Canty said.

Regarding the distinctive exterior of the building—and you can see some of the schematic sketches above—the Cantys described their plans as a “historical rehab,” with elements like energy-efficient windows and solar panels on the roof.

Inside, the floor plans aren’t set, but they’re envisioning a tavern side and restaurant side, with some of the West Concord Supermarket’s design aesthetics retained as a nod to the building’s past.

As for who’s doing what, Kristin will be the one operating the restaurant, while Jim is helping out on the business end and permitting, but plans to keep his day job in Boston.

What Ifs

The would-be eatery doesn’t have a name yet, according to the Cantys, but many of their other ideas are in place.

For example, they’re planning to be open only for dinner – at first anyway. And they’re envisioning a bar stocked with an array of organic beers and wines. Though they’d like to have some live entertainment—like low-key musical acts or meet-the-farmer events—the Cantys say they’re not looking to open a late-night club in West Concord.

What they hope to create would be the kind of restaurant attracts locals and out-of-towners as well.

“We’re from town, and we want a nice farm-to-table restaurant,” said Kristin, who grew up in Concord and has lived here with Jim for more than a decade. “I’m doing this because I want to have a place to eat, and I want West Concord to have another good place to eat.”

But also because she wants to have a restaurant.

According to Jim, if they can’t make their restaurant concept work, then the Cantys would most likely sell the building.