NORTHAMPTON — An ownership change at Fitzwilly’s Restaurant, one of the city’s most engrained traditions for the more than a half-century, is about as rare as the death of a pope or a solar eclipse.
But the day has come after 40 years.
On Wednesday, local business owners Jeff and Jen Marney, and Jim and Chrissy Casagrande, signed the final closing documents for rights to the business this week, and will be renting from landlord Anthony Gleason, who purchased the entire Masonic Block building over the past few months.
The Casagrandes bring their experience in the hospitality industry, having owned the award-winning Northampton Golf Course since 2016, and in the tax business as owners of an income tax firm. The Marneys, owners of Marney Electric Co., bring their utility IQ to the restaurant as they begin overseeing the day-to-day operations of both Fitzwilly’s and the Toasted Owl sports lounge next door.
The Fitz, located downtown at 23 Main St., once housed the law office of Coolidge and Hemenway from 1898 to 1918 before Calvin Coolidge went on to become the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. The building has been called Northampton’s Hollywood Sign and Pearly Gate, said Marney, due to its dominating gold Fitwilly’s sign as one drives into downtown from Bridge Street.
The owners, who decline to disclose what they bought the business for, say it will be business as usual for the establishment, and its 70 employees will stay on.
“Even though we’re owners I feel more like a caretaker,” said Jeff Marney, which his business partners and shareholders seconded.
Just last year the restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the new owners feel “honored” to bring it into the next 50 years.
“Fitzwilly’s is an institution. You know, we’re not really looking to change, but we may put a little of our own spin on it,” said Jim Casagrande.
Fitzwilly’s boasts 270 seats, including those in the Roost where dinner can be enjoyed from a skylit, lattice-enclosed loft. There are also seats 60 in the Toasted Owl.
Marney said the vibe, which is eclectic and packed with vintage artwork, greenery, mysterious lighting, and even an airplane hanging from the ceiling, was inspired by both T.G.I. Fridays and a force that took the 1970s by storm: fern bars, with ferns and plants everywhere.
“This is the history of the town — it’s a very historic building,” said Jim Casagrande.
Longtime owner Gohr bids adieu
The restaurant has been closed down the past few days for a thorough steam cleaning and a restock. Amid the hubbub on Wednesday, Chrissy Casagrande, who will serve as general manager, talked about lobster and kitchen minutia with outgoing co-owner Fred Gohr, whose connection to Fitwilly’s stretches back 45 years.
Founder Roger Kirwood hired Gohr in 1980, “and I never left,” said Gohr, definitely not in a regretful tone. Actually, quite the opposite.
He recounted working his way up from kitchen manager to general manager to co-owner in 1988.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said, and will be moving “somewhere South” in the coming months with his wife. Until the move, he will stay on board as the ownership transition moves forward.
Gohr has had a front row seat to Main Street all these years during which Northampton’s downtown experienced its renaissance, with Fitzwilly’s leading the way in that renaissance as one of the first businesses to put Northampton on the map as a model downtown.
“When I got here in 1980 this (Fitzwilly’s) was 4 years old…there wasn’t a lot going on. And then through the efforts of folks in town and business people, Northampton has just grown exponentially over the years into what it is now,” he said.
Today, downtown is in “a little bit of a lull right now. I hate to see as many empty storefronts as there are, but I think it’s coming back. I’m looking forward to the Picture Main Street project. Certainly there is going to be some serious disruption … but I think once it’s done it’ll be good for the town.”
Gohr has experienced his own disruptions. For one, a global pandemic.
“COVID was certainly a challenge. We were very fortunate to rent the parking lot next to the building. We had that tent out there for outdoor dining, and what the city did out here to help us along with outdoor dining as well,” he said. “It was a challenge but I think that we came out stronger.”
And since COVID there has been a shift in the culture, with less people seeking late night dining, mixed with other phenomena like the legalization of marijuana that has impacted alcohol sales.
Gohr said consistency is key to success, along with quality staff.
“When I say consistency, you know, its not just consistency in how your hamburgers are cooked, but consistency in how you train your staff so that everyone knows what’s expected of them,” he said. “Folks that come in get the same great experience every time they come in, with great smiles and the same great people…It really is a family.”
The family atmosphere has given rise to The Fitzwilly Family, a phrase the restaurant has used to describe those who pass through and keep coming back.
Fitz family
New ownership has been a part of the family experience, and all noted that it’s not a conglomerate coming in, but a group of people who live and work locally.
Jeff Marney, who lives in Williamsburg, has a link to Fitzwilly’s that stretches back to a time when his father had been laid off prior to the restaurant’s grand opening in 1974. Kerwood hired Marney’s father to help him get ready to open back then.
“We’ve been coming here a long time, since I was young,” said Jeff Marney, who has also brought a third generation into the Fitzwilly’s family.
“We’ve taken our kids here since they were little little, for birthday parties or get togethers, family dinners,” he said.
Now, Marney will be overseeing the restaurant’s inner workings, like making sure dumpsters are emptied and hoods are cleaned.
The partnership between the Casagrande and Marney families came out of a phone call that the building’s new owner, Anthony Gleason, made to Jim Casagrande asking if he’d like to buy Fitzwilly’s from Gohr.
The next day, Jim Casagrande was on the phone with Marney asking for fellow partners to come in and take over the operation.
“We called them the next day and talked to Jeff on the phone, and within about 10 minutes he was in my office — 10 minutes,” said Jim Casagrande. “Running a business is never without risk, but we are all business owners, like minded, and went from there.”
Gleason, who owns more than a dozen local businesses including Gigi Self Storage, Gleason Realty Group and Gleason Plaza by Union Station, bought the Masonic Block where the restaurants are located, as well as several condo units, for about $5 million.
“This is a scenario that worked for everyone,” said Gleason. He is thankful to the four partners who will operate the business, as well as for the 40 years of service from previous ownership.
“Support local business and everyone thrives,” he added.
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
