(HOPEWELL, NJ) -- Hopewell Theater has selected the award-winning Baxter Construction as the contractor to renovate their recently acquired restaurant property, the former Brother’s Moon restaurant at 7 West Broad Street, Hopewell, New Jersey.  

“After winning with Baxter both the regional award for ‘Best Commercial Interior’ from NARI and a ‘New Good Neighbor Award’ from NJBIA for the Hopewell Theater renovation,” says Sara Scully, Executive Director, “We knew they were the right choice to build and expand our arts center to include the restaurant.”

“We are honored to be working with Hopewell Theater again to continue to revitalize Hopewell as an arts destination,” says Jim Baxter, owner Baxter construction.  “With our customary attention to detail and quality craftsmanship, we are looking forward to bringing Hopewell Theater’s vision to reality.”

The National Association for the Remodeling Industry recognized Baxter with the “Best Commercial Interior” award for the Northeast region, and a nomination for the national award in the same category for the Hopewell Theater renovation.  New Jersey Business and Industry Association awarded Hopewell Theater and the Baxter team a “New Good Neighbor Award” for the theater revitalization. This award showcases the best of the best who turn ideas into reality and invest in communities, create jobs, and improve lives.  

The restaurant renovation will be overseen by Hopewell Theater leadership, Sara Scully, Executive Director and Mitchel Skolnick, owner.  The first phase of the renovation with Baxter will be to gut the building and stabilize the building infrastructure. The second phase will be renovation design with Hopewell Theater management, a design team, Baxter, and the to-be-determined restaurant group who will run the restaurant, followed by the renovation to realize those plans.  The restaurant’s design will pair with the theater’s interior design by sharing the same warm, and intimate atmosphere but the look will be distinctly different.  

Hopewell Theater has acquired the restaurant to create a destination arts center with expanded hospitality and arts offerings.  The restaurant will give patrons a place to dine before a show, parking, and special value-added events related to theater programming such as meet-the-artist VIP receptions, afternoon unplugged concerts, book signings and readings.  The restaurant will also expand member benefits with perks to be enjoyed at the restaurant such as discounts and meeting space.

The restaurant will also enhance the Theater’s own dine-in concession menu as well as its occasional supper and brunch clubs.  The menu will be fresh and sourced locally wherever possible. Priority will be given to systems in the restaurant that support sustainability, reuse and reduction of plastics and disposables.

Renovations on the building will begin May 2019.