Gnomie’s Woodland Fountain brings board games, dry bar, art, food and more to Concord

Fairy lights adorn the walls, and board games line the shelves.

Despite its tall ceilings and industrial architecture, the atmosphere at Gnomie’s Woodland Fountain feels like a cozy living room.

It’s an establishment unlike any other in Concord — a dry bar, board game cafe, art workshop and farm-to-table eatery all in one, the culmination of owner Susan Riedl’s dream to merge her passions into a single space that promotes healthy living.

“This place is a combination of being able to offer the basic needs for people when it comes to health and wellness, both for health through food, through mental health support, through creative outlets, through connection, and just sort of getting back to basics,” she said.

Reidl, a licensed art therapist and a trained chef, opened the doors earlier this month and is building Gnomie’s in phases.

Currently, visitors can play board games, buy pre-made drinks and participate in creative workshops, such as decorating Turkish mosaic lamps, designing watercolor postcards or pouring wax candles. By the end of next month, Riedl aims to have the dry bar fully set up, along with a host of coffee options. In May, she plans to complete the kitchen and to begin serving meals cooked from locally-sourced ingredients, as well as offering cooking classes, tastings and demonstrations.

The space derives its name from Riedl’s mother, who passed away during the pandemic. She enjoyed tending to her flower garden, where an abundance of garden gnomes resided. Riedl’s grandchildren also call her Gnomie, carrying the love through generations.

The dry bar, in particular, feels like a special contribution to the community.

The space will be completely alcohol-free, with an emphasis on consuming ingredients that promote holistic well-being.

“The sober journey is something that I am on, and I think that many other people, as I have the conversation, find that they are curious about that and how to live a sober life and to have options that not just taste good but actually have benefits to them as well,” she said.

Riedl, who grew up in the Adirondacks, has long enjoyed experimenting with different flavors.

“A lot of it is just doing product research, being able to think about the whole flavor wheel and the contrast and the bitters and the sweets and all those things that you can mix with, and then not being afraid to play around with it a little bit and just come up with your own twist on something,” she said.

She envisions bringing in local farmers to talk about their produce and help the community feel empowered to cook with ingredients they might otherwise shy away from.

She also wants to serve German specialties as a nod to her family’s heritage. German food isn’t well-represented in the area, she said, and she hopes to fill that niche.

Beyond the culinary side of Gnomie’s, Riedl hopes to emphasize social connection as a source of well-being. Board games play a huge role in that.

“Laughter,” she said, “best medicine out there, aside from food and exercise.”

Creative activities, too, boost mental and emotional wellness. While still a practicing art therapist, Riedl keeps her clinical work at the office. Gnomie’s is her outlet for community and creation.

“We can do a crafting art kind of night, but I can bring in that expertise of sort of the why it’s helpful, but not have it be therapy, but just be an explanation of why it helps so much,” she said.

Her dreams for the space are limitless: trivia nights, murder mystery parties, open mics, performances, fiber arts groups and far more. Her ideas, she said, are “constant.”

“I feel like that’s probably, honestly, my biggest strength, is I’m not short on ideas,” she said.

At a time when people feel more disconnected than ever after the COVID-19 pandemic, Riedl hopes Gnomie’s creates a low-barrier third space to spend time with friends and foster connection.

She’s scheming up a grand opening celebration to coincide with National Garden Gnome Day on June 21.

 “It’s the compassion satisfaction that you get when what you do, what you create, what you offer — you see how it positively impacts people, whether it’s what they say or the smile on their face or hearing back that they enjoyed it. I think that’s probably the best part,” she said.

To learn more, visit https://www.gnomieswoodlandfountain.com/

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