Thursday, February 6, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

HomeBusinessBUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight...

BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on Hy’s Fried—Clear the tables and open the dance floor!

This new “old club” is offering sweet–salty chicken and sides, spinning the vinyl, and shaking things up in South Egremont.

Many vividly remember the pronounced script letters bearing the name of the Old Egremont Club on Route 23 (264 Hillsdale Road) in South Egremont, not as the thriving music club it once was but as the property that’s been on and off the market since 2016. Vintage 1933, like an old penny, it’s been passed over for a bit but eventually found its lucky rebirth as Hy’s Fried in the hands of design builder/restaurant owner/model Jack Luber.

The “public remarks” on the real estate listing—which read “THE PERFECT SPOT FOR A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE ON RT#23. OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE/WORK/PLAY ON 5.14 ACRES INCLUDING THE FORMER OLD EG BUILDING”—promoted the possibility of a five-house development not long ago. Thanks to Luber, it has now reconnected to its music and dining roots. Retaining not only the charm and purpose of the original club but also some of the original decor, Luber set out to refurbish the old building and create something new that has people dancing on the checkerboard floor every weekend.

The “Old Eg” on Route 23 enjoyed a long and storied history back in the day. Photo courtesy Realtor.com

Known as the “Old Eg,” or Old Egremont Club—no fish or game focus, just an old-fashioned restaurant and bar with great music (blues, bluegrass, folk)—the building enjoyed a 40-year history of being the place you went with your partner for music and dancing. Today it’s a gluten-free paradise known for its Monday night Bingo (“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”), Friday and Saturday night vinyl and moves, and last Sunday of the month “Hy-Tea” (catering to the local gay community and featured on Hudson, New York’s Trixie’s List).

A background in soul food and homebuilding

Luber grew up in New York City and eventually moved to Montauk, Long Island. He has a long history of homebuilding (his company, Shell & Core in Amagansett, New York, has been adding homes on the East End of Long Island for 15 years) and worked in hospitality before that, running his roving club (Frankie Jackson’s Soul Kitchen in NYC) and small restaurants until 2002. From 1989 to 2002, Frankie’s was a bellwether for jazz, funk, and soul, drawing crowds every Monday night. Now, decades later, Luber is serving up soul (food and music) again at Hy’s every weekend.

During COVID, he and his wife, longtime model Leilani Bishop, gave up the ocean and surfing for the solace and harmony of the Berkshires. “I always loved it up here,” he admits, “and when we came up here, it’s as if we didn’t skip a beat.” They had been living in Alford for two years when they discovered the Old Egremont Club building on Route 23 was available again.

Luber reached out to his lifelong friend, Great Barrington resident Steven Picheny, “who’s been here for 40 years and has his hands in many places,” according to Luber. “I told him, ‘Hey, I’m gonna buy this property,’ and explained what I wanted to do. Steve liked my concept, and (again, without skipping a beat) we bought the building together.”

Building out the concept

The partners shared a “less is more” intention—a food concept that wasn’t contingent on them, along with a night spot for drinking and dancing. “I was in awe of its history,” Luber notes, adding, “My mom and Steven used to dance there.” He continues that the club was locally significant, notorious for attracting “local, quality folks back in the 60s and 70s—musicians like Benny Goodman, Muddy Waters, James Taylor.” That history cemented things for Luber, who says, “I knew I could build out my concept here.”

He is quick to acknowledge the town of Egremont’s immediate, unanimous consent when they applied for their entertainment and liquor licenses, explaining, “Their only requirements were that we fix the parking and close at 11 p.m.” And, far from the village or nearby neighbors, they’re free to pump up the volume when the vinyls are spun—by Luber himself or one of many renowned DJ’s he’s hired (including Sasha Crush, Uncle Rudy, Sir Shorty, Huggy Bear, and Luber’s son, DJ Cassius).

DJ Luber, stylus and lights down, starts up the dancing (left). The January lineup (right). Photos courtesy Hy’s Fried

The customer crowd includes celebrity faces as well. “There’s a lot of Hollywood influence from Hudson to Hillsdale. This place is special to many special people, and they post on Instagram,” Luber says. Is it the food, the drinks, the music, the dance floor, or the freedom to party with an accepting crowd that draws people in? The appeal is something different for everyone.

Creating the team, fine-tuning the cuisine

After getting Picheny onboard as a partner, Luber’s next stroke of luck was finding Alex Glen, his general manager and “a real earnest food and beverage guy.” When hiring Glen, Luber hoped to get 60 to 65 percent of what Glen promised to provide but ended up getting 100 percent or more. “Everything he told me he could provide, he did,” Luber raves.

“When Alex was watching me design and build, he wasn’t privy to any of the design details,” Luber points out. “They were all in my head.” But once it was finished? Glen told him, “My mind is blown, Jack. It’s like a dream room in someone’s home.”

Although the small kitchen didn’t lend itself to a full menu, Luber was sold on his “Brooklyn meets Austin” concept: a combination of Southern Korean sweet/salty chicken and hot side dishes (including potato salad with a barbecue vibe). He describes the sides as “all the comfort foods that go along with chicken that the other places don’t offer.”

The “bucket of chicken” (eight pieces) and “sando” (sandwich), plus your choice of sides. Photo courtesy Hy’s Fried

Luber and Glen developed the menu with help from friend and celebrity chef Sam Talbot. “We were experimenting with different combinations for the menu and landed on some interesting recipes—and 90 percent of the items are being gluten-free, including the chicken!” Luber says, adding, “We ended up creating an after-the-fact niche synonymous with a destination for flavor.” Things like cauliflower with Thai sauce, mint, parsley, and red chile flake; translucent Asian BBQ cole slaw; and “krispy garlic greens” (kale with garlic breadcrumbs and red pepper).

They hired James Brinson as executive chef—another choice Luber feels good about. “He created a chicken soup with potato dumplings and added unique dessert offerings like the apple jack square with whipped cream and mint leaf.” While creativity and flavor were essential, having endless menu offerings was less important. “We intentionally limited the options to be able to roll this out anywhere,” he admits. (His plan is to open multiple locations, though not all based on drinking and dancing.)

Apple jack square—apples, shortbread, graham crackers—all gluten free! Photo courtesy Hy’s Fried

Leaning into the location and aesthetic

While the out-of-the-way location had him a little worried at first, there was an upside to buying across from Catamount Mountain Resort, which attracts a lot of New Yorkers. “I looked at three other structures but ultimately landed on this building, which needed everything,” Luber shares. “There were no floors, no wells, no septic—it was a real undertaking, but more of a process than a problem” (especially for someone who built homes for a living).

“I’m all about the visuals, the interesting finishes, the design—I’m innately into all of that,” he emphasizes. The old club captured his imagination with its wall-mounted moose, red and black checkered floors, and epic bathrooms (soon to be featured in a world-renowned architectural magazine). “I have a cousin in the barbecue business who owns Dallas BBQ and Tony’s De Napoli, and what I’ve learned from him is if you don’t have red, you’re not alive,” he explains. So they embraced the red palette and created what he describes as “a Clockwork Orange/Alice in Wonderland/The Shining” design.

They opened on August 15, the end of the fifth month of owning it. The interior is roughly 900 square feet, excluding the kitchen. To enter the building, you have to push on a massive door. “I wanted it to have the feel of ‘behind the green door,’ but in this case, behind the wooden door,” he elaborates. “A cool secret, like a speakeasy that leaves you wondering ‘what’s in there?’”

The iconic wooden front door (left) and welcoming red “friends” entrance (right). Photos courtesy Hy’s Fried

Berkshire-based challenges

First, there’s the clientele. “It’s consistently the most inconsistent demographic I’ve ever seen,” Lubers laughs, noting he was surprised by how the southwestern Berkshires is less of a drinking culture. “But the good in running the restaurant massively outweighs the challenges.”

When asked about those hurdles, he quickly responds, “It’s very hard to get consistent quality labor.” He’s equally quick to acknowledge his third stroke of luck—“finding James was a mitzvah.” Despite the odds, he and Glen have built a rock-solid team. “I worship these people,” he smiles.

Brinson (left) and Glen, sharing a laugh by the bar, team up to create a memorable experience. Photo courtesy Hy’s Fried

The other big challenge? “There’s no public transportation system in the Berkshires. Like zero. No Uber, no taxis, no bus transportation or safe rides.” This regional shortcoming is a big dilemma given how far the restaurant is from most people. “I came close to opening a car service up here, just knowing how many other businesses need it too,” he adds.

“Besides that, I’m honestly very happy. My staff likes working for Alex and me, and we’ve created a great vibe that’s been well received,” he says, noting that he’s not the typical restaurant owner. “I show up by 5:30 p.m., and from then until 8:30, I’m mopping, cooking, clearing tables, DJing—whatever’s needed. The only way to manage is by example.”

Having taken a hiatus from building homes to launch Hy’s Fried, Luber says, “At this point, everything’s where I want it to be going.” There will be outdoor seating this spring. And his not-so-far-off goal is to have this be a “flagship of fun and community” with a food concept he can roll out in non-urban areas throughout New England.

“You’ve gotta marry yourself to some kind of love for it,” he maintains. “Every day needs to be better than the last.”

Come for the food, the staff, the vibes, then stay for the dancing—the party really gets started once the tables are cleared! Photo courtesy Hy’s Fried

Hy’s Fried winter hours:
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Open Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9, bar at 10).
Open Fridays, Saturdays, and last Sunday of the month (for Hy Tea) from 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. (dancing starts at 8:30).

Check their website for more information.

 

spot_img

The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.

Continue reading

BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on Dewey Hall—It takes a village to support a community treasure

The Sheffield nonprofit hosted its second annual Celestial Ball to cap off its yearly fundraising campaign in shimmering style.

COMMUNITY MATTERS: Berkshire South Regional Community Center

In response to concern and grief, community leadership drives positive change with lasting impact.

CAPITAL IDEAS: How can you invest in the artificial intelligence boom?

Conventional wisdom often warns investors against putting money to work when the stock market is at all-time highs because of the fear of an imminent downturn. I disagree with that investment philosophy.

The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.