“Someone already has a standing reservation for Saturday nights and we are booking holiday parties.” Jen Jones said. She and her husband Jeff, owners of the new Boothbay Harbor restaurant Brady's, are busily getting ready for its official opening Nov. 8.

Jeff’s experience in the restaurant industry spans 35 years and includes national names like Cracker Barrel and Applebee’s as well as local favorites Watershed Tavern and Lobsterman’s Wharf. Jen’s 25 years of experience includes private clubs in Florida and most recently as dining room manager for Brown’s Wharf.

The couple has leased the building at 25 Union St., formerly Amore restaurant. Although in previous years they have left Maine for warmer weather in the winter, Jen is glad to be home and closer to her family.

The couple explained, their goal is to keep everything on the menu under $20 and provide comfort food for winter. There may be a couple of more expensive items for visitors during the Boothbay Lights festival. Brady’s will seat 80 at tables and at bar seats near an open kitchen.

Asked what they tackled first, Jeff quickly answered “menu development.” He said the kitchen is built around the menu so that the flow will be correct. Both Jen and Jeff were glad to have leased a complete facility. They said all the equipment was there, even dishes and glassware.

Jen and Jeff are both ServSafe certified, under a national program that requires them to re-certify every five years. The certification ensures there is a full understanding of sanitation, food labeling and even the correct ratio of chlorine in the dish machine. Jeff said he has been certified six times during his career.

Family and friends will help them at the restaurant. Daughter Megan is Jeff’s sous chef and friends Tristan Smith, Debbie Todte and Annielyn MacKusick are servers.

Beer, wine and spirits will be offered and Brady’s will have a happy hour between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with half price specials on some appetizers. The restaurant will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, it will be open between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.  

Lunch and dinner will be served Fridays between 11:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Breakfast will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays and the restaurant will be open throughout those days from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The restaurant, named for the couple's dog, will be dog-friendly in the summer. “We’ll have a summer dog menu, with ground beef, chicken and haddock," Jen said. If dogs are still hungry after that, they can have a scoop of ice cream with a bone in it.

A soft opening is planned for Wednesday, Nov. 7 for "sacrificial family and friends,” the couple said in unison.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Brady’s at 315-6555 or visit https://bradysboothbayharbor.com/