Last Nov., former owners of Thai Gardens bought Eleanor Rigby’s, a restaurant on Main St. that specializes in soup and sandwich luncheons. The restaurant is now closed for renovations and will re-open in a couple months with a larger dining space and expanded menu, according to owner Andy Becker.
Becker and his wife Anong, who according to Andy is the one who runs the restaurant, bought Eleanor Rigby’s on Nov. 1. The restaurant has been a popular luncheon spot in Middletown in the past. Before this venture, the couple had owned a number of restaurants in the Middletown area.
“It’s not a big organization,” Becker said. “It’s just the two of us.”
The couple plans to keep the lunch menu of soups and sandwiches, but also extend the menu to serve dinner, according to Becker.
“[The menu] will be a basic American kind of menu, including steaks and fresh fish,” Becker said.
The menu will not emphasize breakfast, however, because Ford News serves an extensive breakfast next door.
Becker also said that the restaurant would continue its catering service, which in the past has catered some events at Wesleyan. The catering service mainly provides sandwiches, various salads, and homemade cookies. Through the catering and the changes in the menu, Becker discussed the importance of being able to attract members of the University.
“We know that the Wesleyan crowd is a substantial part of the community,” Becker said.
Becker said that when they owned Thai Gardens, members of the University accounted for approximately 20 percent of their business.
Eleanor Rigby’s closed in January to begin renovations, which includes expansion into the building space next door. The renovation, however, began earlier than originally planned. According to Becker, he and his wife decided to close the restaurant and begin construction after Anong broke her ankle and was told she had to spend 6-8 weeks in bed.
“My wife has been lying in bed watching the Food Channel for weeks,” Becker said. “She is flowing with creative juices.”
Anong, who is Thai, entered the restaurant business in 1991 with the opening of a Thai restaurant in Cromwell. In 1993 she and Andy opened Thai Gardens on Main St. in Middletown. In 2000 they sold Thai Gardens and opened another restaurant in Hartford.
The couple lives on Broad St., and is actively involved in the Middletown community. Anong focuses on the restaurant, while Andy is an attorney, although he does do bookkeeping and design with Anong. According to Becker, they bought Eleanor Rigby’s partly because they wanted to move their business back to Middletown because they like the area, including the University’s presence.
“It’s great to be able to walk around and bump into Wesleyan kids,” Becker said.
The couple is still trying to work out the final plans for the restaurant before it opens in about two months. They are thinking about adding items to the menu that are not available at other restaurants in Middletown, such as rotisserie chicken. There are no plans to change its current name.
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