New restaurant with a Santa Fe vibe will let customers choose their own dining adventures
.jpg "The staff at the new Abode Bistro & Bar: from left to right, operations manager William Cody Lonergan; bar manager Julie McKenzie; owner Daniel Mariotti; general manager Paige Cernohous; and chef Bruno Golac.")
When Il Primo Espresso Cafe owner Daniel Mariotti bought The Rusted Rooster coffee shop in Andover last fall, he wasn’t completely sure what he would do with it.
But as he and his collaborator — Odd Fellow Hall’s William Cody Lonergan — got to know the city better, they realized it was missing something: a place where people could go for a nice date night.
“There’s nothing in Andover where you can go and get food that isn’t a cheeseburger,” Mariotti said.
Starting next month, though, there will be.
Mariotti and Lonergan have transformed the old coffee shop space at 837 N. Andover Road into a new restaurant that’s half casual bar, half fine-dining restaurant. They’re calling it Abode Bar & Bistro.
On one side of the new business, customers will find a family-friendly indoor/outdoor bar that has two retractable doors leading out to a front patio. It will have its own menu that offers affordable lunch-and-dinner items, coffee drinks, craft cocktails, beer and wine. It has 36 seats inside and another 15 on the patio, which faces Andover Road.
The bar side of the business, which is on the south, will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight most days and will serve appetizers, salads and sandwiches. Head chef Bruno Golac, who has worked in several restaurant kitchens around the area, says his style borrows flavors from all over, particularly places like Spain and South America, where he is from.
The north end of the building will be an intimate fine-dining restaurant with its own, more upscale menu featuring unique preparations of steaks, seafood, pork chops and handmade pastas. It will also have its own wine list.
The fine-dining section, which has 24 seats, will be open only for dinner, from 5 to 10 p.m.
“We wanted to have something that was approachable for the Andover crowd for a day-to-day, to get frequent customers in,” Lonergan said. “And then for nights, a place where they can have a special occasion —there’s only 24 seats — so it will be very small and quaint with good service.”
Those who once patronized The Rusted Rooster won’t recognize it. Mariotti and Lonergan redid the interior and exterior of the building to give it a more upscale, Southwestern/Santa Fe aesthetic.
Outside, they painted the formerly gray building an earthy, orange/brown with teal doors and shutters. They also installed glowing exterior lanterns, and near the front entrance, they placed a copper-colored meat smoker crafted in the shape of a steer. When it’s running, smoke pours out of the steer’s nostrils and fills the air with an enticing, smoky aroma.
The inside of the restaurant space has new, gray flooring, wooden slat walls and sleek high-top tables. The Rusted Rooster’s old bar remained but got a more modern look, and a back-bar decorated with colorful ceramic tiles also was installed.
The bar side also is fitted with four big television sets intended to attract game-day crowds. Lonergan says he also hopes to get customers looking for a coffee date spot or a place to have cocktails on the patio. The bar side also will be ideal for students seeking lunch or locals looking for a place to have a drink after a high school football game, he said.
The smaller fine-dining space, meanwhile, is fitted with mid century-style rust-colored chairs and will use fine pottery dishware. It will be dimly lit with glowing lantern fixtures and will eventually have a fireplace. Lonergan pictures inviting small jazz or acoustic acts to perform in the space and also plans to offer occasional wine and tequila dinners.
“There really hasn’t been a whole lot of concepts that have been like this, offering two menus at one time and giving people something approachable but also something new and fresh,” Lonergan said.
Lonergan, who has become locally known for his mastery of mixology, is keeping his job as a managing partner at Odd Fellow Hall, 930 W. Douglas. He also collaborated with Mariotti when he recently added a cocktail bar concept to his Il Primo coffee shop space at 6422 E. Central. Since November, the remodeled coffee shop has been operating as Il Primo during the day then transitioning into One Life Spirits Bar in the evenings, when it serves craft cocktails made with One Life Spirits products.
At Abode Bar & Bistro, Lonergan’s title will be operations manager.
The new business is unique enough, he said, that thinks it will attract customers from all over the area.
“We are really hoping that by putting this out here, we’re not just capturing the Andover market but also making a destination location for date nights,” he said.
Mariotti and Lonergan said they are in the process of hiring for the new business now and that Abode should be open by early April. Anyone looking for a restaurant job is invited to apply by messaging Abode.paige@gmail.com
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 11:55 AM.
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