04/08/2026
After nine years as the chef and owner of The Atlantic Bistro I have decided it is time to step aside.
Iām very fortunate to be able to pass it on to two amazing chefs, Zach Smith and Mariana Gonzalez-TrasviƱa. Both are graduates of Johnson and Wales University and have decades of combined experience working in the restaurant industry. Their plan is to grow and expand what we have already built at The Atlantic Bistro. I will leave it to them to reveal all of the exciting details of their plans moving forward, but it will be remaining The Atlantic Bistro and all the staff youāve come to know and love, along with all of our signature menu items will still be there when you come to visit.
For my part, Iāve been extremely fortunate and will be forever grateful to all the people who helped support The Atlantic Bistro over the years not the least of which is my beautiful wife and partner Jen, without whom this truly wouldnāt have been possible.
She was my nightly sounding board and had to bear the brunt of my stress and anxiety as a restaurant owner. Her always fair, and at times annoyingly honest, insight helped me to clarify and understand my own thoughts to be able to navigate the often tumultuous seas of the restaurant industry. And also, when necessary, and all too frequently, to call me on my own bu****it. The Atlantic Bistro truly would not exist without her.
My kids, Nick and Sophie who put up with me not being around for many important moments because I was at the restaurant, yet still remained my biggest fans.
And also very Iām grateful to have worked with the greatest staff I could have ever imagined. From Dave and Priscilla Strenio who helped me through the opening year. To the O.G. crew that first summer. Including Brian Petipas, the always dependable friend and Swiss Army knife of Bistro staff. Our own roadhouse bouncer/server/manager Alysha Cote. And the always smiling Laura McCoy all of whom still occasionally pick up a shift! To the amazingly talented Chef turned teacher, Tom Kilbourne. He left an indelible mark on the Bistro and me with has creativity, artistry and an unmatched work ethic.
To Brooke Monteiro and Amber Almeida, the hardest working sisters on the Southcoast and the heart and soul of the my staff for many years. It would be impossible to overstate the importance and impact these two women had on The Atlantic Bistro.
And to the finest bartender on the Southcoast(and beyond) Sean Allaire, who makes, without question, the greatest Old Fashion Iāve ever had!
And to all my staff over the years, I want thank you all. You all helped me make The Atlantic Bistro what it is.
And finally to all our guests you are the reason we open our doors every night. Your smiling faces and words of encouragement and support are what have kept me going over the years. Without you there would be no Bistro. Thank you!
Chris Thibeault
