Pictured above at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Stella: A Kitchen and Bar, from left to right, are Joanna Dahlbeck, Jamestown Chamber of Commerce coordinator; state Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown; Jacqueline Phelps, deputy district director for U.S. Rep. Tom Reed; Lakewood Mayor Randy Holcomb; owners Bruce and Laurie Stanton; State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay; Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendell; and Todd Tranum, CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. P-J photo by Jay Young

Community leaders gathered outside of the newly opened restaurant Stella: A Kitchen and Bar, located on Chautauqua Avenue in Lakewood, for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.

Owners Bruce and Laurie Stanton both bring lifetimes of experience in the restaurant and hospitality business to their new venture, which will feature an eclectic menu of dishes inspired by their travels through favorite food cities like Charleston, S.C. and New Orleans, La.

“This is another chapter of my life and Laurie’s life,” Bruce Stanton said. “We both have been in hospitality our entire lives basically and it is great to be part of the Chautauqua County community and part of what it means to serve those folks that live here and visit here.”

“It is an exciting time to be opening a business. Even though we have been faced with a huge challenge that we never would have expected. We feel strongly that if we work hard at it we will get through this and we will come out on the other side and have a successful business within the community.”

Bruce Stanton’s long history in the industry stretches back to the Gristmill Restaurant in Jamestown in 1981. That was followed by a 25-year tenure at Chautauqua Institution’s Anthenaeum Hotel, and a recent posting at Moonbrook Country Club.

Laurie’s front-of-house experience comes from years of working in the hospitality industry in Western New York, including time at the National Comedy Center.

After a brief soft open, the restaurant is now welcoming diners for regular hours from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 5-9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in addition to Sunday brunch service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We did a soft opening, two weeks ago we started,” Stanton said. “This last week has been regular operations. We’ve obviously done it in a way that can help us get our operations acclimated and the staff acclimated. Everything has gone extremely well so far and we are just pleased with the outcome and the support we’ve had, because it doesn’t happen without that support.”

In searching for a name for their new restaurant, the Stantons drew inspiration from their time in New Orleans, and the character of Stella Kowalski from the Tennessee Williams’ play “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

In addition to influence from classic Southern cuisine, Stella’s offerings will also include regional favorites such as a Friday fish fry, as well as vegetarian options.

“We want to have a menu that is broad enough that it covers everyone’s palates,” Stanton said.

The restaurant also offers outdoor seating on its patio, ideal for dining during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It shows how resilient we are as a community, it shows how resilient this hospitality business is,” State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, said of the opening. “As someone who is in the hospitality business and as a restaurant owner myself, this is a difficult and challenging business without a pandemic. So to open this place up right now during this pandemic and to make the investment you have made in this community–I just want to say thank you very much on behalf of elected officials of the community.”