New Neighbors: The Porch at Christie’s Opens Today
Andrea and Bill Pecoriello welcomed the first customers to The Porch at Christie’s early this morning as the new community-based restaurant opened their doors. Westport’s northern neighborhoods will regain their beloved country store after this morning’s opening of The Porch at Christie’s at 161 Cross Highway.
The 101 year old building has served for decades as meeting house and gastronomic locale for many far-out Westporters and herds of nearby middle and high school students. Owner Andrea and Bill Pecoriello of Westport founded The Porch not only on the basis of good food, but to provide a community space for both their customers and their beloved employees.
In 2020, the Pecoriellos founded the non-profit Sweet P Bakery in Norwalk as a way to provide job training and employment for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Through their work with Sweet P, they found that they needed a storefront to continue that training at the front of a house - resulting in their creation of The Porch; “We can't think of a more perfect spot in town to support Sweet P Bakery's mission” they described when speaking about the opportunity to have Sweet P Bakery graduates work at the front of the house. Graduating members of Sweet P’s 4 week internship program are able to bake alongside the Porch’s three pastry chefs to create the baked goods sold at the store while building skills and celebrating their accomplishments.
Guests are greeted by the historic building’s stone front porch as they step through the door into a bright and newly renovated dining room and food counter. Opening at 6:30 AM, The Porch offers a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, and breakfasts while offering a comprehensive lunch and supper menu, too. A separate ice cream hut will serve the frozen dessert later into the evenings, allowing families to watch the traffic go by while preventing ice cream drips from hitting the grass.
Operating on-and-off in the most recent years, the previous tenant - Chef’s Table - closed less than a year after they opened in April 2019. The property was last sold in 2008 for 1.65 million dollars.
Being the northernmost restaurant in Westport, the space has always been beloved by those who want to avoid the noise of Post Road and the traffic of downtown. “Christie’s” has been a pillar in the community for nearly 100 years, serving snacks, cold drinks, ice cream, and locally sourced foods to generations of Westporters. Owners Andrea and Bill are excited to welcome the next generation to The Porch.
