HOPE – The Hatchet Mountain Public Hose is nestled in Hope at 42 Hatchet Mountain Road. Wednesdays are special at the Pub as they donate a portion of sales to a local nonprofit. A varied menu offers everything from pub fare to fine dining and the prices are fair. We spoke to  about his restaurant and the locals who patronize it and those who see it as an easy getaway for a good night out.

"We try to schedule a couple of Wednesday events a month," said chef/owner Brian O'Neil. "Tonight, we are helping the Friends of Mt. Battie Tower. In the past we've hosted PAWS, the YMCA, Sweet Tree Arts and the Knox County Humane Society. We like to help and it gives people a reason to come look us over."

Opened in 2007 O'Neil said the restaurant has served as a place for locals to hang out and a fair amount of summer tourist traffic.

"I said tourists, but it's also a lot of people who have camps out here," he said. "We do get people who drive in from the coast, but mostly its people who live in the area."

O'Neil said they offer Pub food that's affordable at all levels. Prices range from $6 upwards of $30 for their most expensive items. There are lots of appetizers and burgers and you can also get locally sourced seafood and meats.

"We bake all our own bread products," he said. "We do all own desserts in house as well. There's really something for everyone on the menu in every price range. With some advance notice we can prepare for vegetarians and vegans too."
O'Neil moved to the area in 1995 and came up with MBNA. He said when he finished with the bank he decided to stay in the area. A restaurant was something he always wanted to do and when the opportunity at Hatchet Mountain presented itself, he decided to go for it.

"We change the menu with the seasons," he said. "Right now of course it's our winter menu. And we have specials that change daily."

Hatchet Mountain also offers antiques for sale and the restaurant's two floors are lined with them. O'Neil acts as the buyer and has bought most of the antiques that are inhouse.

"Basically everything you see in here is for sale," said O'Neil. "Most of them are from the area here, different auctions and some flea markets. There are some family pieces that are not for sale, but most everything is from the coastal area."

O'Neil said it's always hard to get people to come out in the winter. He said they have a strong local clientele. Their Wednesday night events encourage people who have never seen the place before to come out and O'Neil said they are fortunate that way. And the restaurant will try to have bands on Saturday night.

O'Neil said they don't advertise and count on word of mouth to get people to visit. He said that even though they are in their ninth year, there are still a lot of people who haven't heard of them.

Saturday February 20 will see The Old Blues Kats returning, for what O'Neil says will be a night of blues, booze and BBQ. There is a suggested donation of $10 at the door.

"We're off the beaten path," he said, "but it also means it's more laid back and you don't have the hustle and bustle you get at in town restaurants that put off some people. It's a warm, comfortable and inviting atmosphere."

Hatchet Mountain does a lot of private parties and weddings.

"Holidays are busy for us," he said. "We've had one customer who has had his Christmas party here seven years in a row. People come back once they been here. They love it. We do catering too."

The Pub sits on nine acres. In the winter time it can seat upwards of 50 people, but in the summer there is a deck and plenty of room for tents for different parties. O'Neil said 150 people are not uncommon in the summer.

The Restaurant maintains its own gardens to grow vegetables and herbs. They also raise their own chickens, recycle and compost.

"We try to control our costs," he said, "we encourage kids and we can accommodate any type of budget. There's a lot of food to choose from. It's nothing fancy, but its pub food. The portions are good; it's hearty and tastes good."

Randy Stearns is president of Friends of Mt. Battie Tower. The Save the Tower Fund, has been trying to raise $100,000 for need repairs to the structure, purchase generators for the star and create a legacy fund, managed by the town of Camden for future maintenance.

The committee has worked hard to raise the donations necessary for the funds. Stearns said they are close.

"Depending on how you count the numbers, we are almost there," he said. "We are within $8,000 of our goal. Ten percent of any checks tonight are for the tower."

Stearns said bids for tower work should go out this week and once the bid is awarded work can start as soon as the weather cooperates.

"Restoration of the masonry and seal it when that's completed," he said, "replace the handrails and bring them up to code."

The star atop Mt. Battie has shown over Camden since 1966, it is lit on Thanksgiving Day and shines until the New Year begins. A crew of volunteers assembles the star and then takes it down each year.

Stearns said the committee has made the effort pay off, doing a tremendous amount of hard work to raise the funds. They are committed to raising the $100,000. Half that amount is to be saved for the legacy fund.

Stearns also said that at some point the tower will need to be shut down to the public for the repair work.

"They will have to shut the tower down at some point to the public," he said. "Mostly while the handrails are down and they do some of the masonry work. It's anticipated that whoever gets the bid will have a large enough crew, that down time will be able to quickly do the work and get it back open."

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