WILTON — A new restaurant, The Square-Downtown Wilton, is now open near the monument at 280 Main Street in Wilton.

The property is owned by James Butler and Ashley Rand.

Thursday morning, June 13, Marah Black, general manager, said Butler has had the idea for a while. He bought the building and gutted it, “finally found the right people to make it work,” she stated.

The facility has seen several food businesses there, originally was a gas station and a canvas with one of the gas sticks on it is displayed inside, Black noted.

The menu features a mix of appetizers, salads, pizzas, burgers and hand-helds, Black said. There will be a full bar, signature cocktails as well, she noted.

June 13 was the opening day. “We are just going to roll with it,” Black said. “We didn’t have a set date for it.”

“In my opinion it is needed in the area,” Butler said. “Something a little bit different. We are not going to be an Italian place like Calzalaio’s, not like Ambition Brewery. We are looking to be the company in the middle, trying to fill the void.”

Butler said there is usually a wait list at Calzalaio’s. The hope is to catch people for a drink or appetizer before they go there or afterwards for dessert or a cocktail, he noted. “This will complement the area,” he stated.

Tyler Gray of Jay is the head chef and kitchen manager. “I started at Aenneke Jans in Kittery,” he said. “They had a sister restaurant, AJ’s Wood Grill Pizza. Those were my first two restaurant gigs.”

In 2012 Gray got a job as a line cook at Royal River Grill House in Yarmouth. “That is where I am coming from now,” he said. “I was traveling. It absolutely is nice to be closer to home.”

Gray did not go to school for culinary arts, started as a dishwasher. “I was lucky enough to work in some very nice restaurants, learned a lot,” he noted.

Black said she has known Butler and Rand for a few years, wanted to do something different. “I was up at The SugarBowl in Carrabassett Valley all winter,” she noted. “I loved the experience, getting back into the restaurant, bartending field and we have been talking about this for a while. It is falling into place now. Same thing, I was driving up there four to five days a week. It was a long drive.”

“We have a lot of pride in this area,” Butler said. He saw the potential in the building. “Ashley and I both have fulltime employment, we don’t have time to run a restaurant. In our younger years we had experience, wanted to bring something to the area that was different.”

Finding the right people was an issue, Butler said. “Marah has ambition, drive, wants to run a business,” he noted. Working through the details took some time, then a cook had to be found. “The cook found us,” he stated. “It has been untraditional. We are very fortunate to have both these individuals here with their experience. They want to do great things.”

Butler said he and Rand are excited to work with Black and Gray, are friends with the other local restaurants.

“I am excited to cook for the locals,” Gray said. “All of my cooking experience is in southern Maine, so not a lot really know about my passion for cooking. They are about to find out.”

The Square has hired several local people for waitresses, bartenders and dishwashers. Vendors in Wilton, Dixfield and Farmington are used. Live entertainment is planned for later this summer.

There is outside seating for nice days, Black noted.

“Supporting the local economy is important to us,” Butler stated.

For now, The Square is open 4-10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Reservations are not being accepted and there is no take out.

Expanding the days and hours, other changes are expected as things fall into place, Butler said.

“We are looking forward to serving the community,” he added.

For more information visit the Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558262896012.

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