BERNARDSTON — A half-joke at a comedy night has resulted in the resurrection of a beloved local landmark, albeit with a different name and personality.

Husband and wife Alex and Amy Fiorey were at a Scarecrow in the Park event a couple of years ago when they struck up conversation with Paul Skiathitis, who owned the Four Leaf Clover Restaurant at 19 South St., and only half-seriously mentioned they should buy it from him, as they already owned Pioneer Valley Tire across the street. That suggestion became a reality on Dec. 22, 2021, when the Fioreys took ownership of what has turned into Falltown Grill, which opened with regular hours on Wednesday.

“I love to cook. She loves to bake. We love feeding people, entertaining people,” Alex Fiorey said sitting near his wife in one of their refurbished dining rooms on Thursday. “So we just said, ‘Hey, it’s on the market. Want to do it?’”

The renovated eatery had a soft opening last week. It will now be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Alex Fiorey said they expect to soon hold Sunday brunches from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Louella “Lou” Atherton, of the Bernardston Historical Society, previously said the Four Leaf Clover Restaurant was established by Stanley Durmas in May 1949. Durmas’ godson, Charles Skiathitis, later took over ownership and was followed by son Paul. Employees Mark and Linda Snow bought it from him about two decades ago, according to their son, Roy “PJ” Puffer, who also worked at the restaurant.

“Mark would always kind of comment, ‘Hey, want to buy a restaurant?’” Alex Fiorey said with a chuckle. The business closed amid the pandemic, which wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry.

The Fioreys, who have been married since 2015, said the endeavor has been scary but exciting.

“We both missed restaurant work, or kitchens,” Amy Fiorey said.

She was a baker at a private school for about 20 years and Alex Fiorey worked as a line cook about 20 years ago. His parents opened a takeout restaurant/ice cream shop on the site that now hosts the laundromat and tanning salon on Federal Street in Greenfield. The Fioreys sold that property to buy the Bernardston restaurant.

“It’s nice to be back in a kitchen,” Amy Fiorey said.

The couple describes the Falltown Grill’s menu as “classic American with a little bit of everything.” The two dining rooms are open and can seat 72 people. The Four Leaf Clover’s banquet room, which housed its well-known salad bar, is being converted into a sports bar that could seat an extra 50 by September.

“We just decided it needed an update,” Alex Fiorey said. Amy mentioned they hope to add a patio on the building’s south side next spring.

The Fioreys said the renaming process was a lengthy one, deciding on Falltown Grill as a nod to Bernardston’s name before it was incorporated in 1762.

The restaurant’s 26 employees include two waitresses who worked at the Four Leaf Clover for nearly 30 years. Amy Fiorey said one of them described the renovated space as “different but familiar.”

More information can be found on the eatery’s Facebook page.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.

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