Photo by Nora Grace-Flood
The logo above the bar.
DERBY — For Anthony Mastroni, a rising junior majoring in business entrepreneurship at Brown University, taking on the title of managing partner at a brand-new restaurant in Derby is just a stepping stone, as his proud father, Robert Mastroni, puts it.
The pair have spent the past three months turning 17 Elizabeth St., which was home to Archie Moore’s for 15 years until a rent dispute this March, into the RiverWalk Social Bar and Restaurant. The spot will open for dinner today (Wednesday, Aug. 5) and it’s already all booked up.
RiverWalk will follow the path laid out by Archie’s while adding a more modern twist; along with bar snacks and beers will come full entrées and “harvest salads.” For those grieving the loss of Archie’s wings, Anthony Mastroni is confident that their interpretation “will not disappoint.”
With Archie’s out, the Mastronis were looking to bring in a comparable business; the space, which can fit up to 350 people, was already suited up with multiple bars and a full kitchen. After a few interested clients ultimately backed out, the Mastronis decided to make it happen themselves.
Though neither father nor son had direct experience working in the restaurant industry (Robert Mastroni’s background is in civil engineering and real estate), it was a perfect opportunity for Anthony Mastroni to put his studies to work. Opening a restaurant certainly seems a step beyond the typical college internship … though he has also been spending the summer juggling an internship as well. In fact, he’s actually the manager of Aflac’s internship program.
Anthony Mastroni is also a Brown Bears football player. While he said he’s “love going through the journey of opening the restaurant,” he admitted that it has been a lot to balance. “Work, lift, sleep,” he recited.
Photo by Nora Grace-Flood
Owners Robert Mastroni (left) with son, Anthony Mastroni.
The two used plenty of athletic terminology to talk about how they plan to run their restaurant. The Mastronis described the vision of the restaurant as “family style,” but they reasoned that their group of managers and employees were more of a “team” than anything else.
“This is no dictatorship,” said Robert Mastroni. Anthony Mastroni elaborated: “It’s everybody making decisions together. A team.”
More than forty people have been hired by the restaurant. While plenty of fresh faces will join the staff, there will be many familiar ones as well, such as Eric Heinig, who will hang on to his managerial title which he earned over the course of 14 years at Archie Moore’s.
The Mastronis said that they were especially excited to give Heinig more freedom and authority in the new business. “He’s been dying to make changes,” Robert Mastroni said. “Now he can choose to pick up the tab, to offer free drinks; it will all be less restrictive.”
Since completing culinary school around ten years ago, Heinig said he has been looking forward to the chance to be more involved in recipe creation and cooking. Finally, he has found it; he defined RiverWalk as “American style bar food” featuring “fresh ingredients in place of prepackaged items.”
“Archie’s was what people think of for bar food,” he said. “We’re trying to put a little spin on that.”
“It’s an opportunity to really create something,” Heinig said.
As exciting as the project has been for those involved, it has also been an overwhelming and emotional experience.
Rumors of Archie’s impending demise had been circulating Derby for months. The local chain announced a new location in Branford shortly before closing its doors on Elizabeth Street.
Heinig remembered negotiations around Archie Moore’s future this past March; at first he heard that he and other staff members would be furloughed, but soon realized that he was without a job.
“Obviously millions of people are in the same boat that I was in, but it’s especially scary in the restaurant industry,” he said.
Manager Eric Heinig with Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan during a charity event at the former Archie Moore’s.
Resuming his position at RiverWalk was, no surprise, a huge relief for Heinig. He framed the restaurant as a source of hope, not only for his family but for the broader community.
When Archie’s announced its closure on March 14, he said he felt bombarded by comments on social media: “It’s just another thing that Derby is losing,” he remembered hearing over and over again.
Heinig said the situation should be seen not as another loss, but as a rare gain. The new business may serve as “the starting light of a fire.”
As optimistic as Heinig is about the project, he was candid about the challenges he has faced as well.
“My experience at Archie Moores won’t directly transfer… and opening a restaurant has been a whole different beast from running one,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed obstacles for the RiverWalk group — and not just seating limitations.
“The beef industry has been hit so hard. There’s a huge tequila shortage. Prices have become astronomical,” Heinig said. “Things that we were used to being on our doorstep in a day were suddenly taking weeks to come in.”
“But the biggest thing is just the unknown,” he sighed. While the restaurant has already received an outpouring of support from the community, its future, like most things in this moment, is uncertain.
Heinig added that starting later ultimately became advantageous. “It takes time to do things right,” he said, highlighting the many renovations that have been able to take place since March.
The restaurant has gone through plenty of changes over the course of several weeks, which will be noticed by those who used to patron Archie’s. The restaurant consists of a main level which can fit 122 people, a second-floor loft with room for 90 more, and a separate upstairs bar with space for 42. The Mastronis are eagerly awaiting the future when big banquets can be held upstairs, but for now the inside will be limited to 50 percent of its full capacity.
This main makeover was the restaurant’s outdoor patio, which was given new wooden walls and a swing set. The outdoor space can alone fit 76 people.
Previously the patio wasn’t all that inviting — just tables and a lot of concrete.
“It’s a different feel out there,” said Heinig.
Robert Mastroni pointed out that the patio is one of RiverWalk’s unique advantages during the COVID era: a wide, private, outdoor space with a full bar.
“When it’s lit up at night it will be absolutely beautiful,” Anthony Mastroni said.
RiverWalk Social also benefits from the fact Derby’s a small city.
“We already have a big following from Archie Moore’s,” Heinig said. “We have over 14 years of very strong relationships with customers, who become friends. We already know what our clients drink and what they like to order,” he reflected.
RiverWalk is not only aiming to appeal to its established clientele. The Mastronis said that they are looking to serve individuals from around the state. “We’re talking with and listening to as many people as we can,” said Anthony Mastroni. “And we’re using all of that input.”
One of those valued customers happens to be Robert Mastroni’s wife. “She would never go to Archie’s because she said there weren’t any healthy options,” he shared. The new menu features a salad selection, as well as new options for vegetarians and vegans; any beef can be substituted with a Beyond Burger.
“The goal is to cater to the community as best we can,” said Robert Mastroni.
He asserted that all healthcare workers (Griffin Hospital is just up the road a bit) and first responders will be given 20 percent off their tabs.
He said the same for any charities or organizations that hold fundraisers in the space. “You raise $10,000, we’ll give you back $2,000,” he declared.
The Mastronis also shared that they would be offering happy hour specials, pizza giveaways, and acoustic music nights.
“We’re gonna take care of anyone who’s regularly supporting us,” Anthony Mastroni stated.
All of RiverWalk’s leaders share another common goal; to see Derby develop.
“It’s been more talk than action with redevelopment here,” said Heinig. “We want to be a mainstay— to be the first group here for when things in Derby start to pick up.”
Robert Mastroni was a bit less patient. When he bought the building back in 2003, he did so with the belief that new condos were going to be built along the river. “We’re still waiting for that to happen,” he stated. “While Shelton is booming, Derby is just stagnant.”
In February, the city approved 200 apartments to be built on Factory Street (within walking distance of RiverWalk Social). Construction has not started yet.
The city has been in talks to possibly purchase a scrap yard seen as an impediment to downtown growth.
Residents are still waiting for the long-planned Route 34/Main Street widening project in Derby to get a shovel in the ground.
Click here for the RiverWalk Social Facebook page.
Click here to view the menu online (as of Aug. 5).
Call the business at (203) 751‑9669.
On-street parking is available, and there is a parking garage on Thompson Place (400 feet north of the restaurant).
