LEBANON — After Tony Rinella suffered a stroke in 2024, he didn’t know if he’d be able to return to work as a chef at The Baited Hook at Mascoma Lake.
But now, two years later, he’s going to be running the longtime restaurant and expanding what it has to offer.
“I’m going from the cook to being responsible for everything,” said Rinella.
The Baited Hook at Mascoma Lake, located off Route 4A, will be operated by new owners, but familiar faces in the Upper Valley community. Rinella and his wife, Lisa Rinella, are teaming up to keep the restaurant in business, after it spent two years on the market.
“I would hate to see it sold and turned into something else,” said Tony Rinella.
They’ve formed a transition team and will “gradually take on daily operations and ownership” over the winter, according to a Facebook announcement from Lisa Rinella.
Customers can expect a revitalized menu, winter hours and events like trivia and holiday parties.
The Rinellas both grew up in Grafton County, then spent time out of state. Returning home, they decided to lay permanent roots in Enfield. At the restaurant, Tony will lead the kitchen, and Lisa will handle the business and hospitality side.
Tony Rinella, who has over 30 years of experience as a chef, joined The Baited Hook in 2023.
The Hook currently has four owners: Dawn and Billy Beattie, longtime Enfield residents who purchased the restaurant in 2020 and run it from Florida; Mike Donnelly, a friend of the couple and business partner; and Lisa DePalo, Billy Beattie’s cousin.
Christopher DePalo, related to the owners, has worked as a cook at the restaurant for the past five years and served as a supervisor since the spring. He helps lead some of the younger staff members, which can include high school and college students.
Over the years, the restaurant has found its footing, DePalo said. He noted that some restaurant jobs can be toxic, but that’s not the case at The Baited Hook.
“It’s been a very like family-friendly, safe environment,” said DePalo, who grew up in Enfield.
Due to unexpected circumstances, the Beatties decided to pass the torch, but luckily, they didn’t need to look far.
Tony Rinella had considered purchasing the restaurant and was hoping to step into more of an ownership role before he suffered a stroke in October 2024. But then he had to step back from his job to recover.
In July 2025, Rinella felt ready to return to work a couple of days a week. He quickly fell back into a rhythm and made up for the deficits in his right hand by using the left one more.
“That was only a month before I was like, ‘I can do full time’,” said Rinella.
With the popularity of takeout, the Rinellas plan to introduce homemade takeout meals, such as two casserole-style dishes and a changing weekly soup.
“I can do better than a burger,” said Tony Rinella. “How about I make you dinner for your whole family?”
Lisa Rinella looks forward to coordinating events at the restaurant, with her background in hospitality, she said.
“Bringing the community together, I like to do that,” she said.
The restaurant currently has a staff of about six people, but it can be as many as 25 people in the summer due to increased business from outdoor seating and the ice cream stand.
The Beatties kept The Baited Hook open with limited winter hours for the past five years, but they may have had to close this winter, said Dawn Beattie.
Now, the restaurant will close only briefly, for two weeks in November to prepare, then will reopen Wednesday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. The menu includes some classic items and new favorites.
“I hope breakfast and lunch drives quite a lot of business. There’s not a breakfast spot around here,” said Lisa Rinella.
The couple hopes to better spread the word about winter hours, as they believe some people think they close down for the season.
“The thing is, if you close one day and people drive by and see that you’re closed, they’re automatically going to think you’re closed all the time, forever,” said Tony Rinella.
When it warms up, they’ll be back to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Down the line, the Rinellas plan to purchase the building, in addition to the business.
Dawn Beattie, reached by phone, said she’s excited to see the menu changes from Tony in action and is confident in his ability to take over if doing so feels like the right fit.
“He has way more restaurant experience than we do, so we’ve leaned on him a few times,” said Beattie.
“It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s nothing I haven’t done before,” Tony Rinella said of his new role. “I just haven’t done all of it at the same time before.”
