LYNNFIELD — Alchemy is the latest new restaurant to open at MarketStreet.
Owned and operated by the North Shore’s Serenitee Restaurant Group, the restaurant hosted an invitation-only grand opening Monday night to show off its newly-designed interior and exterior spaces. Based on the response of the crowd who attended, the opening was all Serenitee Restaurant Group Chief Operating Officer Jeff Cala had hoped for.
“You can see tonight, that this is the place to meet, place to hang out with family and friends,” Cala said. “We’re very excited about teaming up with WS (Development) on this project and being here in this space.”
Manager Seth Freidus agreed.
“To see so many familiar friends and families here tonight is just what we had hoped we’d see,” he said. “It feels like driving that new car off the lot for the first time.”
Alchemy will open to the public starting Wednesday through Friday, serving dinner only. Over the weekend, the restaurant will offer lunch and dinner. The restaurant will open full-time for lunch and dinner during the week of August 8.
Alchemy’s menu features creative, seasonal New American cuisine and craft cocktails, all in a casual, family-friendly setting complete with a sleek sushi bar, indoor and outdoor seating and bars with jumbo TVs.
Alchemy is one of the largest of the 11 restaurants in the Serenitee Group, with seating for up to 297 diners. Other restaurants in the group include Minglewood Harborside in Gloucester, 15 Walnut Tavern in South Hamilton, Hale Street Tavern in Beverly, Cala’s in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Opus in Salem, The Spot in Georgetown, The Spot in Winchester, Maggie’s Farm and Chanco’s in Middleton and the Little Red Rooster in Gloucester, which is currently closed but will be reopening in the fall.
Freidus promises the Lynnfield location will feature a vibrant new look and fresh take on its menu.
“The menu will have New England/American comfort classics with big, bold flavors that are globally inspired,” said Freidus.
Located on the site of the former Gaslight Restaurant, the restaurant has approximately 8,300 square feet in all: about 2,200 feet of outdoor space, 6,400 indoor (including the kitchen area) and about 4,400-4,500 square feet comprising the dining area. In terms of occupancy, there will be 194 spaces inside and 103 outside.
Lynnfield Select Board Chair Dick Dalton and his wife, Carmela Dalton, were enjoying the festivities with fellow board member Phil Crawford.
“It’s nice to add to the MarketStreet mix and nice to see this wonderful space getting a nice buildout,” Crawford said. “I was curious to see what you were going to do with the building, and the sushi bar is a nice addition to the mix. This is great, the food, the atmosphere, everything is just great.”
Cala said the inspiration for the restaurant’s name came from the novel, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.
“A large part came from the book,” said Cala. “It all came together when Mark [McDonough] and I visited the original Alchemy space in Gloucester. We were transitioning the raw, homey, locally-loved space into something that was fun, but cutting edge for the time. We were following our dream and going for it; it just made sense.”
Cala said Alchemy is all about family.
“Alchemy was built on a staff that became a family, with a vibe that was all about comfort and fun, and menus that were created with love and the idea of adventure,” he said. “This restaurant will become a community beehive, the place to go to see old friends, make new friends, enjoy your family while enjoying some of the best food and beverages on the North Shore.
“During the crazy, crazy times over the past year we all needed something to look forward to, and for the Serenitee Restaurant Group, it has been Alchemy.”
