Renovated Bernini dining room reopens, owners get into wedding business

Brianna “Bri” Heney, owner of Bernini Pizzeria and Wine Bar, has been unusually busy.

She closed Bernini, on Union Avenue in Laconia, temporarily on Oct. 26, to launch what became a $900,000 renovation project to expand capacity and improve acoustics, reopening on April 15, four days before she closed on the purchase of Birch Hill Farm, a wedding venue in Gilford.

While Bernini will serve as the caterer for events of all kinds at the farm, Heney’s motivation in the purchase was not to strategically expand her restaurant business — although she knows that’s possible. Instead, she wanted to follow her passion for event planning.

Rich Ray, co-owner of the restaurant and farm, and Amanda Dudek, their marketing and events director, felt the same tug.

“I love events,” Heney said. “When I plan a wedding or a bridal shower, I go all out.”

It seems certain Heney will continue to be busy.

More room, seats at Bernini

The biggest goal in the Bernini renovation was adding tables. Last year, Heney said her accountant told her, “You’re doing the max you can do. You need to add more seats.”

Heney was convinced an expansion was a good idea on Oct. 6, when a hostess called in sick, and by 6:30 p.m., Heney had turned away 82 potential diners. The learning, she said, was, “We have to do this.”

Previously, the capacity at Bernini was 90 diners on a perfect weather day, when the patio could be used. Now, with the patio repurposed as indoor dining space in its own private nook, 120-125 people can be seated at a time, year-round.

Knowing it’s possible diners will still need to wait to be seated, the hostess station was expanded to include a stand-up bar, where roughly 10 people can have a drink while they wait.

“There’s a lot more room for people to stand and wait.”

From Pizza Hut to premier Italian

The Bernini building was originally a Pizza Hut restaurant; changing that look was another of Heney’s goals in remodeling. A new roof solved that.

Beginning around the second week in November, work began to create the new roofline and roof to accommodate the expanded space, and continued with a complete interior remodel, including skylights, more windows, and a higher-end bar, with $40,000 invested in granite alone.

Diners can sit at new tables, including new high-tops, and the hope is they'll hear each other better, as Heney spent roughly $12,000 on decorative sound boards on the walls intended to improve acoustics.

“They look like an accent wall,” she says. “They’re all over the restaurant.”

Other improvements include an expanded kitchen with more storage for staff, a third bathroom with a changing station, an employee bathroom, and a new office in a finished portion of the attic.

Culinary enhancements come in the form of new menu items, such as chicken or veal Milanese saltimbocca, and a black truffle macaroni.

“I think so far what I’ve seen is people are very shocked,” Heney said, noting the renovation took four and a half months. “Once people see the results, they’re like, ‘Wow, this only took four and a half months?'”

Plans at Birch Hill Farm

A wedding venue off Gilford Avenue in Gilford, Birch Hill Farm was owned by Mary Anne Baron and the late Kim Baron until April 21, when Heney and Ray purchased it.

The 30-acre property holds a barn, where the main wedding activities happen, a house where brides and grooms can stay overnight, and a carriage house used for cocktail hour.

“It’s a hidden gem,” Heney said. “The place sells itself, and the views are amazing.”

Birch Hill Farm has been closed for 18 months, and Heney recently booked the first wedding she and her partners will plan, for September 2026.

They hope to expand to offer baby and bridal showers, flower workshops, paint-and-sip nights, and, when possible, fundraisers for organizations like the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund. Bernini will cater all events.

Booking events will be a top priority this year, with no renovations until perhaps 2027, in advance of the summer months. “We have some ideas in the works,” Heney said. “The place has so much potential. You could do anything with it.”

The venue website — birchhillNH.com — is being revamped. In the meantime, anyone interested in a wedding or event at Birch Hill Farm can email Dudek at adudek@birchhillNH.com.