Puggy's in Keene to Close; Co-Owner to Open Café

Come this spring, you won’t find Megan Hutchinson behind the counter of Puggy’s, the beloved vintage market she owns with her husband in Keene. She’ll be across the street running the new Moonchild Cafe.

As she and husband Peter Hutchinson of Keene gear up to close Puggy’s, named after their black Lab, Megan Hutchinson and her Moonchild Cafe co-owner Cindy Giannetto are preparing for a “soft opening” of the new eatery in late April. That business will occupy the vacant café spot in the Toadstool Bookshop.

Puggy's, at 37 Emerald St., will shutter at the end of May after roughly 10 years, but Megan said her husband recently started selling the same kind of items found at the store through an online auction.

She said rising overhead costs, such as rent, utilities and insurance, contributed to the decision to close the shop.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said of the business, which offers an eclectic assortment of items, including rugs, records and antiques.

Brandie Wells,owner of the Shadow and Soul Emporium and Tea Lounge in downtown Keene, said the shopping experience at Puggy’s is unique, and she’s sad the Elm City will be losing that store.

Wells was effusive about Megan’s involvement with the Keene Downtown Group. Megan has helped out with the Ice and Snow Festival in the past.

Megan said her move into the culinary world has been in the works for about a year, and that she and Giannetto were waiting for the right space to come along. The small café area in Toadstool that their business will occupy has been vacant since October, when The Farm Concessions and Cafe closed.

Moonchild gets its name from the co-owners' status as moonchildren, Megan said; both were born in July, and those who share the cancer astrological birth sign are coined "moonchildren." 

Megan noted she and Giannetto both love to cook and have experience in the food industry, Giannetto in managing, and Megan in a range of roles. Megan said she’s done everything from waiting tables, to cooking, to running the front of the house. The only title she hasn’t held, she said, is owner.

The menu planned is traditional café food: soups, sandwiches and baked goods. The menu will feature many gluten-free options, and there will also be grab-and-go options and a few hot entrees available.

Megan described their offerings as “fresh,” “good” and “interesting," and said the pair hopes to source ingredients locally, and cater to people who don’t feel they have many options in the area.