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Date: 11/15/2023
WILBRAHAM — A new restaurant has opened on Boston Road and owner Christopher Arillotta wants it to become the favorite spot for locals to have dinner and drinks.
The Local Table-n-Tap’s décor is full of cool tones, with gray brick and muted wood flooring, accented with black, aluminum and glass. Arillotta described the vibe of the eatery as “elevated casual,” and said the atmosphere is “lively,” whether a customer wants to watch sports at the bar or eat dinner with their family.
A substantial bar takes up half of the main dining room, with televisions situated so that they are relatively unseen until someone sits down at the bar. There are tables for up to four diners making up the remainder of the room. Another dining room on the other side of a brick and glass wall features seating arrangements for larger groups and can accommodate semi-private parties.
It was 2 p.m. when Reminder Publishing sat down to talk with Arillotta and General Manager Cory Kenney. Despite being a traditionally slow time of day for restaurants, the bar was nearly full, and tables of patrons dotted the dining room.
“It’s never slow,” Arillotta said, adding that business had been “ridiculously good” since opening the restaurant on Oct. 23.
The location Arillotta chose for the restaurant is a former Red Robin. He said the building was “gutted, almost down to the studs,” to create his vision for the restaurant. The concept for The Local is just that: local. The business hired 52 local staff — who wear shirts that read “Eat, Drink, Stay Local” — and uses locally sourced ingredients for the dishes, when possible. Even the contractors that renovated the space were local. Arillotta said he plans for the restaurant to become part of the fabric of Wilbraham’s business community.
“I love this area,” Arillotta said of Wilbraham. Referring to the restaurant he owns in Springfield, Christopher’s, he said, “I wanted to expand. I’ve been looking for a second location. I want to start a restaurant group.” Despite owning both restaurants, Arillotta said the two have different atmospheres and stand on their own merits.
When it comes to the menu, Kenney said, “The star is the smoker,” with the most popular items on the menu being the smoked brisket and smoked ribs. He added that it is rare for restaurants in the area to have an in-house smoker. If people are not interested in the smoked dishes, however, he said there is “something for everyone” on the menu, including salads, sandwiches and entrees. The beer selection is “untouchable,” Kenney said.
The Local opens daily at 11:30 a.m., with the kitchen open to 10 p.m. The bar area closes at midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 11 p.m. the rest of the week. While the same menu is currently available from open to close, Arillotta said he is considering offering a brunch menu.
Arillotta said the only issue with so many customers interested in dining at The Local is that the wait time for a table is sometimes up to an hour and a half. The restaurant is working on implementing call-ahead seating and reservations are available for parties of eight or more people. The restaurant will also be expanding the patio area to seat patrons outside in warmer weather.
The Local Table-n-Tap is at 2039 Boston Rd. For more information, visit thelocaltablentap.com.