Mad for the Mad River Exchange

Welcome to a new business in the Valley! The Mad River Exchange (in the old Alpino Vino building on Route 100) is slowly opening its doors to the public. Waitsfield local Carolyn Lessard and business partner Karen Cetinkaya have set out to make the Mad River Exchange a combination pop-up restaurant, event space, and retail shop celebrating Vermont-made products.  

One half of the building hosts pop-up restaurants and events. The other half of the building, still under construction, will also do double-duty. There will be a coffee bar serving Brio coffee, breakfast and lunch, and a retail store carrying the best of Vermont-made art, crafts, and packaged food products. There is a full commercial kitchen, so stay tuned for ample baked delicacies to pair with your coffee.

The best way to experience Mad River Exchange at the moment is to visit the first pop-up restaurant, Dino’s BBQ, on Friday evenings. We recommend the brisket and the honey rolls!

If you know of licensed caterers or food truck vendors looking for a permanent (or semi-permanent) Saturday night restaurant space, please reach out to Mad River Exchange at info@madeventsvt.com

(Full disclosure, Carolyn is a good friend, and I may have helped assemble some chairs for her. It’s thrilling to see her vision coming to life.)