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Date: 11/14/2023
NORTHAMPTON — A “high-end” dining experience is on the verge of opening at the former Union Station on 125A Pleasant St. later this year.
Serving steak and seafood, The Notch 8 Grille is scheduled to open before the end of this year in the same location where Platform Sports Bar was for 10 years.
“We looked at the market and think that there’s a void that should be filled with this, as in a high-end dining experience, steak and seafood, and it’s very classic,” said Jeremiah Micka, one of the owners of the new restaurant and former owner of Platform.
In a full announcement on social media, the owners of Platform provided an official goodbye to the sports and a simultaneous introduction to The Notch 8 Grille.
“Today we close another chapter of Union Station history, and say goodbye to Platform Sports Bar,” read a social media post on Oct. 25. “Memories of Super Bowls, World Cups, and college nights with packed dance floors will forever remain close to our hearts.”
According to the post, The Notch 8 Grille, named after the highest “notch” of a train throttle position and will provide “a fresh, upscale concept, talented culinary team, and an array of delectable dishes.”
“Although we are saying goodbye to Platform, we are thrilled to introduce The Notch 8 Grille,” read the post.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Micka said Platform did really well over the past decade, but the owners wanted to shift their focus to creating a destination restaurant after the coronavirus pandemic.
“[Platform] was a late night bar that had dancing, and since COVID, that’s really gone away and we didn’t want to bring back dancing,” Micka said.
Micka said Platform stayed open consistently until earlier this spring, and then intermittently thereafter before officially closing altogether. Now, after a year of preparations, Micka is ready to open The Notch 8 Grille.
“I always wanted a higher end establishment,” Micka said. “When I first started, there was just no time or the extra money to really invest into it.”
There are a few benefits to having a restaurant of this caliber, according to Micka. One perk is The Notch 8 Grille will positively impact the other establishments he operates at the former Union Station.
“It plays really well with our Tunnel Bar, which is a high-end martini bar,” Micka said. “It also helps with our banquet area for weddings and other events. We do a lot of rehearsal dinners, and we now have a restaurant that facilitates that.”
The hope is to have a couple soft openings for the restaurant at the end of November for friends and family, Micka said. That way, they can find out what is working well for the new establishment and adjust before officially opening to the public. He said an announcement and a celebration of some kind will occur when the restaurant officially opens to everyone.
In the meantime, though, there are still some preparations that need to be finished. As of press time, Micka said he is setting up booths, chairs and tables while also finalizing everything with the kitchen.
Micka added that the hiring process for the new restaurant has been smooth and he expects there to be around 30 employees. He added that the restaurant is expected to be open seven days a week from 5 to 10 p.m. with the possibility of extended hours on the weekend.
With Platform’s chapter ending and the Notch 8 Grille’s beginning, Micka said he has experienced every type of emotion from excitement, to sadness to nervousness.
“I’ve had every emotion you can basically come up with,” Micka said. “You’re sad to see something you built 10 years ago go, and you’re ripping out stuff you put your heart into, but you’re excited about something new.”
According to the social media post, the Tunnel Bar remains open and operational and Union Station Banquets will continue to conduct weddings and other events throughout the rest of construction. The Deck, meanwhile, is closed for the winter season and will reopen again in the spring.
Micka said they now do around 500 events a year in their banquet facility.