WESTFIELD – A favorite of the considerable student population in Amherst, The Hangar Pub and Grill has given folks a place to enjoy a now-famous menu of burgers, ribs, sandwiches and, of course, chicken wings.
The owners of The Hangar are now looking to expand southward to Westfield, potentially landing at 29 School Street, the former home of the School Street Bistro.
With a hearing with the City of Westfield’s License Committee scheduled for this evening, Hangar owner Harold Tramazzo is looking to “steer away from fanfare” at this present time and concentrate on going through the proper channels to make the expansion a reality.
“I’ve been talking with Jeff Daley (Westfield Economic Advancement Director) for over a year now,” Tramazzo said yesterday.
When asked of how the prospective Westfield location would compare to The Hangar’s Amherst flagship, Tramazzo said the two buildings are very different, but “it’s going to feel like The Hangar.”
“I’m interested in the front room,” Tramazzo said, adding that behind the restaurant a bar area would be “absorbed into the kitchen”, similar to the setup of The Hangar’s takeout destination Wings Over Amherst.
“It would be a ‘Wings Over Westfield’,” Tramazzo said.
Regarding the building’s third floor, Tramazzo said recent discussions with his staff have produced “a lot of great ideas”, and that the acquisition of a liquor license, which he is beginning the formal process of gaining this evening, will cover the entire building.
“(The Hangar) has a good reputation in Amherst, and I’m very excited (to bring The Hangar to Westfield),” Tramazzo said. “I’m in this for the long run.”
“He (Tramazzo) is still in the process of acquiring the licenses and the purchase of the building,” Daley said. “I’m very excited he’s decided to bring The Hangar to Westfield.”
Daley said that Tramazzo has a purchase and sale agreement in place for the property on 29 School Street, and a purchase would then be followed by remodeling of the building.
“I’ve been working with Harold for about a year, and he’s always had interest (in Westfield),” said Daley, saying a formal announcement would be made soon. “He’s a wonderful businessman. It’s been a long time coming.”
