Feedstore restaurant coming to New Hope just in time for busy season

Rendering of future New Hope Feedstore at former Tastebuds location.

By Charlie Sahner

The Feedstore in Ambler has already gained a devoted following after only one year in existence, with its handcrafted burgers, sandwiches, salads and snacks. And now partners Geoff Molt, 37, and Seth Novick, 40, are bringing their over-the-top, avante-garde version of the American nosh to New Hope.

"We were burger-heavy when we started in Ambler, but we were working with very limited space," recalls Molt, "Now, burgers are still at the core, but we can expand and do a lot more, and bring that same innovation to other sandwiches."

The duo already grinds their burger meat fresh each morning, and hand cuts their fries, says Molt. "But now we have the space to brine our own corn beef, do more smoking, and really scratch-make and stuff all of our sausages, like the maple sage breakfast sausage, and chorizo."

The partners have chosen an interesting location for a flashy snack joint. West Ferry Street, with its historic row houses and residential feel worked well for the subdued Tastebuds, but can it draw the customer traffic needed to sustain the business model?

Blueberry and Stawberry Waffle with warm berry compote, walnuts, and bacon ($12).

Molt and Novick believe it can. They took inspiration from the consistent local and turista traffic enjoyed by Nina's Waffles on the relatively quiet West Mechanic Street, and may tone down their waffle offerings in deference to Nina's.

"I'm their biggest admirer," says Novick. "I go there all the time. They proved you can build a business on a side street."

In fact, while burgers, tacos and waffles make up a good part of the Feedstore fare, Molt and Novick intend to avoid competing with existing eateries. When asked about the formidable Moo at 137 S. Main St., Molt said, "Moo is a nice, straightforward burger, they're great at what they do. But we're more decadent, we cram as much as possible into every sandwich, and take things to the next level.
"We don't want to be just a burger joint," Molt continued. "It’s a great base to start from, but we want to do lot more than burgers."

Magic Monster Burger with snow roller onions, Vermont sharp cheddar, and candied maple bacon ($12).

Most Ambler customers, however, are wowed by the burgers, fries and hot sandwiches, often kicked off by an order of Mac Balls (buttermilk battered classic mac and cheese, served with sriracha ranch - $6).

Standout burgers according to customers include the basic Feedburger, with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onion and Feed Sauce ($12), the Captain Quint, with beef salami, provolone, tomato, cream cheese and cherry pepper marmalade ($15), and the Munnyburger, with cheddar, bacon, caramelized onion and fig jam ($14). All burgers and sandwiches come with fries that can be upgraded to specialty versions, onion rings, or a side of mac and cheese, for $3.

Asian Pork Taco with Asian pear pico and plum sauce, and Carolina Gold Chicken Taco with cheddar jack and smoked coleslaw ($3 each).

Another hot sandwich that grabs attention is the Abbot, made with beef short rib, kimchi, queso fresco, sesame mayo, and sriracha on onion-poppy brioche.

"We try to be creative with our menu," observed Molt. "We throw around ideas each morning, and New Hope inspires creativity. We hope our new neighbors will try some of the offbeat items we'll be creating for them."

Novick agrees. "It's always been my dream to own a store in New Hope." Novick's father owned Phoenix Books at 49 N. Union St. in Lambertville.

"There's also not too many family-friendly, kid-oriented places located in New Hope, and I think that we'll be filling a niche," added Novick.

The restaurateurs say they're getting the keys to the joint March 1, and are shooting to get the place up and running for the warm season. This should get interesting.

Feedstore will be located at 49 W. Ferry St.