Jennifer and Keith Jones, of Bristol, stand in the dining area of Starboard Cafe in New Harbor on June 20. The couple is the new proprietors of the business and property at 137 Huddle Road in Bristol, which was previously home to The Cupboard Cafe. (Johnathan Riley photo)
After a soft opening weekend in early July, Bristol residents Jennifer and Keith Jones have been settling in as the owners of Starboard Cafe in New Harbor.
“We’ve had a few bumps, but it’s gone surprisingly well,” Jennifer Jones said. “We’ve extended ur hours and the feedback (from the community) has been amazing.”
Located at 137 Huddle Road, the restaurant breathes a new, but familiar life into a building that previously housed locally adored breakfast spot The Cupboard Cafe, which was started by Claudia and Fred Hatch and their daughter Mary Dee Grant in 1995.
The former local favorite went up for sale last year by the family and was bought by the Joneses earlier this spring, a move the couple said just made sense.
Both Jennifer and Keith Jones have connections to the area they wanted to deepen, and Jennifer Jones has years of experience running kitchens and working in the service industry. Most recently, she oversaw the food service program of Newmarket Elementary School in Newmarket, N.H., where the couple has lived for most of the last 20 years.
Keith Jones said he’s been coming to Bristol since the late 1970s from Middleton, Mass. and worked a variety of jobs in the
area, including lobstering. “I’ve been here a long time,” Keith Jones said.
The couple has “tons of friends that are like family” in the area.
When the building went up for sale in 2024, purchasing it aligned with a vision they had for opening their own restaurant in a place they love.
While there were other offers made for the business, according to Jennifer Jones, things ultimately worked out so she and her husband could purchase it because of their community-oriented mentality.
“We had a connection with the community, and we had a vision,” she said. “What we wanted to do for the longest time was to open something for comfort food for locals, that was open in the winter, that was a place to go that wasn’t touristy and overly expensive, and that kind of thing.”
In keeping with the spirit of The Cupboard Cafe, the new name for the restaurant, Starboard Cafe, signals the couple’s love of boats and Keith Jones’ time working on the water, but also pays homage to the original business.
“We wanted to kind of keep it the same as The Cupboard,” Keith Jones said. “That name just came to me.”
The menu of the new restaurant is centered on breakfast and lunch offerings, including a variety of breakfast sandwiches, homemade biscuits, sandwiches, and pastries like cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, another homage to The Cupboard’s
popular offerings.
“We’ve kind of carried on the same way,” Jennifer Jones said. “We’re not jumping in and trying to change the world or change
everything the way it was done, but to kind of carry on with our own twist.”
Grant said her family is excited for Jennifer and Keith Jones and wishes them the best of luck in a space they have occupied for the last 30 years.
“We’re just so happy to find really great people that could take the property and make it their own,” she said. “We hope they have as wonderful a time as we did.”
Other feedback from customers has been excitement for dinner options and eventual winter hours, according to Jennifer Jones.
“They’re very happy that it’s open again and that they have a place to go to,” Jennifer Jones said. “They’re looking forward to
obviously the winter for the locals, the winter like we are doing dinners and entertainment, and being able to kind of have a place to go to. That’s been nice to hear.”
Hours will continue to extend as the business is able, but for now, Starboard Cafe is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. The couple intends to increase hours and days of operation and add menu items over the next few months.
“Thankfulness and gratefulness to the community because they’ve been very accepting, very supportive,” Jennifer Jones said.
“This couldn’t be in a better location or in a better community.”
For more information, updates, and specials, find the Starboard Cafe on Facebook or Instagram or call 677-3911.
