Giuseppe's new 'Grotto' space to draw more music and fans to Meredith

MEREDITH — When Juno-award winning musician David Francey took to the stage at The Grotto earlier this week, his appearance marked the utilization of a new space for a local establishment and, the restaurant's owners hope, the beginning of a new era for the local music scene.

The Grotto is the newest space occupied by Giuseppe's Pizzeria and Ristorante in the Mill Falls Marketplace. The restaurant annexed the space in May of last year. From a practical point of view, the added space will allow the restaurant to serve more patrons during winter weekends when patio seating is unavailable.

That was the owner's intention for the space. "At first, we were just going to put in new carpet and tables," said Julie Gnerre-Bourgeois. However, as the renovation of the space progressed, it became clear to them that the room could be used for greater purposes than simply overflow seating.

From a business perspective, the overflow seating is an important way for them to serve more customers on their busiest nights. The main dining area seats 92, the seasonal patio can seat 44 and The Grotto affords Giuseppe's the opportunity to seat 58 more. However, perhaps more important philosophically to the Gnerre family, which founded the restaurant in 1987, is the greater ability that the room affords them to use their establishment as a sanctuary for music.

Music has always been an important part of life for the Gnerres, recalled Gnerre-Bourgeois. When her parents, Annelle and Giuseppe Gnerre, founded the family restaurant, they included a reference to music in their slogan and backed up that talk by offering music at the restaurant seven nights per week, 52 weeks per year. After Giuseppe passed away in 1995, the family founded a musical scholarship in his memory.

Due to space limitations, though, musicians performed in the main dining area, amid the business of a restaurant, and as a result they've primarily used music as dinner entertainment instead of a concert. "We always wanted concerts here, but there's too much going on," Gnerre-Bourgeois said.

As the renovation of the new space progressed, and as they made the decisions to contract with local craftsmen for custom woodwork and ironwork, to decorate the room with artwork and to install a full bar, the family realized that they had created the perfect setting for an intimate concert. Arranged for a music performance, The Grotto can seat 87 people.

In keeping with their desire to support art and its creators, Gnerre-Bourgeois said 100-percent of revenue from tickets sold for performances at The Grotto will be given to the artists. "We're creating a music scene – That's what's making us happy, is showcasing these fantastic artists," Gnerre-Bourgeois said.

Apparently, the local music fans are also happy about the development. The David Francey show was a sell-out, Gnerre-Bourgeois reported. The next dinner concert at The Grotto will be Willy Porter on April 6. Jeffrey Foucault will perform on May 18.

In addition to the dinner concert series, The Grotto will also host rock bands, karaoke and local acts.

For Gnerre-Bourgeois, who recalled how her father had his children taking music lessons as early as four and how her family's living room was filled with musical equipment for the family band, the ability to create an intimate venue for top-quality musicians is exciting. "It's important to us. It's art, it's healing, music is the universal language," she said.