The latest, and perhaps most anticipated, upgrade to the historic Duck Pond neighborhood in Westbrook is the opening of Lenny’s, a restaurant and pub that will host live music at Hawkes Plaza, the site of the well-known Hawkes TV sign. For owner Bill Umbel, it’s been a long time coming.

Umbel bought the building when he still owned Empire Dine and Dance in Portland, a popular Congress Street restaurant and music venue. The Westbrook location will be a change of pace from a bustling downtown, but he says Greater Portland needs its entertainment options expanded. He’s also adding a pinch of Maine music history. The logo for the restaurant is an homage to the property. Al Hawkes, the Maine country and bluegrass legend, ran his TV repair business and a recording studio at the site, and a working studio still exists in the basement.

The Duck Pond neighborhood in Westbrook, lying along the Route 302 corridor just before Windham, is one of the most historic in the city. Lately, the aged buildings and roads have been the focus of some change, with the former Highland Variety revamped into Duck Pond Variety by a new owner, and ongoing discussions about a new roundabout at the busy intersection of Duck Pond Road and Route 302.

Umbel, who sold the Empire in 2012, is looking at opening Lenny’s sometime this month. He has spent years on restoring the building, and met difficulty turning the aged space into a working kitchen. At one point, he received a liquor license from the city, which eventually expired. He’s also brainstormed some innovative ideas for the space.

Umbel called the Lenny’s menu “upscale pubfare comfort food.” He said they hope to have something for everyone, with a good lineup of beer and wine.

The American Journal spoke with Umbel this week about the historic spot, the challenges with turning the Hawkes building into a restaurant, and creating a destination location.

Q: It’s been a long time coming for you and Lenny’s Pub. How did it all start? Why did you choose this location?

A: It started because I owned the building and couldn’t think of anything else. I had been trying to lease or sell the building and wasn’t getting anywhere with that – market conditions were tough. I came up with the idea while still running the Empire Dine and Dance.

Q: What are you hoping to create with Lenny’s? Where does the name come from?

A: I’m hoping to create a destination location focused on the food, entertainment, hospitality business. The name Lenny’s has a nice ring to it. It rolls off your tongue nicely – kind of like saying, ‘What do you want to do tonight, honey?’ and she says ‘Let’s go over to Lenny’s.’ It just has a nice feel to it, like going to an old friend’s house. On a footnote, Lenny Breau, the great guitarist, did some recording here in the late 1950s when Al Hawkes was running Event Records in the building.

Q: The property there has some history, especially with music. How will Lenny’s celebrate that?

A: We will try to incorporate that historic aspect in when opportunity presents itself and give the respect it deserves. I’ve always said that the Greater Portland entertainment scene needs to expand beyond Portland and we will be working toward that goal to get more people aware of all the great things going on in the area.

Q: What have been some of the challenges and setbacks associated with getting Lenny’s off the ground?

A: The challenges in tearing a building apart and making it into something else definitely has its good and bad days, with design, infrastructure, mechanical needs, etc. Westbrook as a community has been receptive and easy to deal with. Like I say, just do it right from the start and things usually go OK.

Q: The location, off Route 302 in Westbrook, doesn’t have the foot traffic of a downtown. Is this a good or bad thing?

A: The foot-traffic thing is definitely a plus, but not having a lot isn’t the end of the world. There actually are a fair number of people that do walk, ride bicycles and snowmobile by here. We are creating a destination location, and as developing the business plan we discovered there’s a lot of folks out here that are looking for a place to go out. When I owned the Empire, people used to tell me we were going to come in, but drove around the block twice, couldn’t find a place to park and said let’s go home. I’ll have adequate parking out here. It also helps that there are over 20,000 cars a day going by here, so if we can get a half of 1 percent of that, it would be great. The Walking Service Man sign will be in all its glory as long as I own the place. All that neon and light flashing will definitely help our cause. Like I’ve said for a long time, I bought a historic sign and just happened to get a building with it.

Q: The website for Lenny’s was launched this week. What’s next in terms of getting the word out? When do you expect to open?

A: We are shooting be open this month, it’s looking great inside. As far as getting the word out, with all the online avenues and the fact that writers are always looking for interesting subject matter, we should be able to get plenty of press.

Q: What are some of the things that you think will make Lenny’s stand out?

A: Lenny’s will be more food focused with early evening entertainment when we have it. What will make us stand out is the quality of service and attention to detail. Having a friendly face to greet you is always good for repeat customers.

Bill Umbel, the owner of Lenny’s, stands in front of the local landmark Hawkes TV sign in Westbrook, the site of his new restaurant and pub. The new neighborhood locale will also host live music. Umbel plans to open in July. Courtesy photo

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