I wasn’t sure what to expect when I wound through the former Goddard College campus in search of the newly opened Haybarn Restaurant and Lounge. Now called the Creative Campus at Goddard, the 130-acre property belongs to Execusuite, a New Hampshire-based developer, and is home to various youth programs, the food distribution business Farmers to You, and a whole host of theater productions and music shows.
I certainly didn’t expect to end my meal with lemon posset ($10), given the dessert’s old-timey vibes and the restaurant’s casual ones. Originally a hot drink made with milk and either beer or wine, the medieval beverage later evolved into a citrusy custard dessert, which is sometimes — as it was here — served in a frosty lemon rind.
How did posset end up on chef Zak Fugazy’s menu, alongside General Tso’s chicken wings (six for $14, 12 for $21) and birria street tacos ($6 each, three for $16)? The chef, who previously worked at Bon Temps Gourmet in Worcester and the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, recently prepared Elizabethan dishes to coincide with a Shakespeare performance. He decided the delicate sweet deserved a regular spot on his bill of fare.
So is the Haybarn a global restaurant, a historical one, or just a relaxed place off busy Route 2 where friends can meet over plates of beer-battered fish and chips ($21) and house-ground burgers with fries ($19)?
Right now, it’s evolving, Fugazy explained. Execusuite owner Mike Davidson hired him to serve the needs of both the campus and the public. When he accepted the job, in mid-May, he had to begin by figuring out how to operate a restaurant in a space that used to be (and still sometimes is) a cafeteria. The kitchen boasted plenty of steam tables and ovens but hardly any sauté pans and not nearly enough refrigeration. He worked within those limitations.
Fugazy began with themed weekly menus (e.g., Shakespeare) but recently switched to a regular set of à la carte offerings. He plans to give the menu a seasonal upgrade in September.
Week by week, Fugazy has been figuring out what works and what doesn’t, making lists of needed supplies and reaching out to local farmers. The restaurant just received its liquor license, and the chef is excited about the prospect of moving the dining area from its current spot in the old cafeteria to a new, more intimate space with a pretty view of the grounds.
As well as serving dinner to the public Wednesday through Saturday, Fugazy is in charge of menus for special happenings across the campus, feeding retreat groups who are staying in the on-site housing and making lunches for Connected Circles, an independent school. There are free community dinners to plan, too.
“I’ve drafted a billion menus,” Fugazy said with a chuckle. “You have to be able to adjust for all different kinds of events and budgets.”
In designing the dinner menu for the public, he said, he aimed to keep it familiar and accessible while making nearly everything from scratch. Soon, Fugazy noted, fancier dishes will show up as nightly specials; an appetizer of wild mushroom arancini ($14) and a Vermont cheese board ($19) already lean in that direction.
Despite the inherent challenges of the job, Fugazy is excited about the flurry of campus activity, citing “alternative schooling, residencies, herbalism — there’s talk that a yoga center will be coming in at some point … [and] there are 30-something rooms available to rent if you want to see a show and crash for a night,” he said. “It could really blossom into something special.”
Whether they’re seeking comfort foods, upscale seasonal specials or the occasional historical offering, visitors will certainly have plenty of options.
The original print version of this article was headlined “New College Try | A restaurant on the former Goddard campus serves up surprises”
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This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2025.
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