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Date: 7/19/2022
NORTHAMPTON – A new restaurant, bar and event space is in the midst of opening on the basement level of Thornes Marketplace.
Owners Amanda Riseling, Jeremy Werther, and Nhan Bui, are aiming to make Tellus & The Satellite Bar a spot with ample opportunity for people of different interests to gather while feeling comfortable and having a good time. Aside from being an eatery, Tellus & The Satellite Bar will also function as a gastropub, part-time nightclub, wine and cocktail and noodle bar.
“We really want to become comfortable with the space,” said Werther, who is also the chef and owner of Homestead on 7 Strong Ave. “We don’t want to be a snooty restaurant. We want everyone to feel that they can come in and grab a pizza and beer or try a high-flavored dish while enjoying Nhan’s awesome cocktails while Amanda takes excellent care of them. It’s all of the real, true hospitality points that we have 40-plus years of combined experience with.”
Bui and Riseling met while working together at multiple places across the city including HighBrow Wood Fired Kitchen + Bar and the now defunct Patria. Riseling developed a relationship with Werther after going to Homestead many times.
Once Patria closed, the trio came together and started talking about the status of the restaurant industry and how they could contribute to a time of recovery after the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. By the end of October 2021, they were starting to form what Tellus was going to be.
According to Werther, the menu is going to focus on craft pizza as well as comfort food that accommodates everyone who comes through. “We’re going to have burgers, sandwiches, some really big flavorful salads,” said Werther. “But really, we’re playing without a rule book which is really fun for us. At the end of the day, all we really care about is flavor.”
More specifically, Werther said the establishment plans to have their own house smash burger and will use Bui’s background to develop some Vietnamese-based dishes, as well.
“People hear pizza, and they immediately think Italian,” said Werther. “We don’t really want to be another Italian restaurant because that’s as far as we are actually going, as we think.”
The same boundless vision for the restaurant side of the business is very similar to how the owners want to operate the bar aspect. “If we made you a classic Manhattan, we have what we think is the best representation of that, but then if we want to have a completely different riff on margaritas, we would do that,” said Bui. “We can do things that are interesting but still fall in that formula.”
Werther continued, when describing the menu, “Everything’s based in something that people know or recognize, with a little bit of twist. There’s some elevation without going outlandishly crazy.”
After a brief hiatus, Riseling told Reminder Publishing that she returned to restaurant service once establishments started to open again for dining during the (coronavirus) pandemic. She described the restaurant industry has been “raked under the coals” over the last couple years.
“It almost felt like you were getting thrown to the wolves,” Riseling said, when describing those initial days back in the industry. “You’re trying to allow people to have an experience, but you’re trying to do it with restrictions.”
Despite the collective trauma felt by the (coronavirus) pandemic, Riseling expressed optimism about the future of it all. “As the industry rebuilds itself, we can build it in a new way,” Riseling said. “We have an opportunity to make [Tellus & The Satellite Bar] a nice place to work … that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. But we have an opportunity to create a team that works together.”
Riseling said she has been working in Thornes since 2016, which makes the location extra special. Add those experiences to the fact that there is a supportive community and ample outdoor space, and Thornes immediately became the ideal spot for Tellus. “My blood, sweat, and tears are in this very space,” Riseling said. “So, getting the opportunity to open a place here is a lot like getting to buy the apartment you’ve been renting.”
According to Bui, the business also hopes to function as a part-time nightclub on Fridays and Saturdays with DJs that usually play at The Basement on 21 Center St. As someone who has spent years promoting and putting together shows, Bui hopes to capture that experience in the night life.
There is no official date for when the business opens, as the owners are still waiting to finish the licensing process. As that continues, however, the owners will continue to push the message of comfort, fun and renewal.
“We all find comfort in different things,” said Werther. “At the very core of what restaurants are, they are spaces for people to find their own comfort ... everyone has discovered a different comfort level over the past couple years. Our goal in the restaurant industry is to create space and opportunity for people.”