Little Compton’s long restaurant winter is winding to a close, and that was never more obvious than Monday morning.

Around 7:30 a.m., just as Adam Donahue was starting at the former Commons Restaurant he and wife Kaitlin are working to restore, Jose Martinez was hard at work in another kitchen, this one in a food truck parked behind he Kinnane compound in Adamsville.

Martinez was there for the soft opening of “Breakfast in the Field,” the second breakfast place in the village to serve since The Barn closed a year and a half ago, and he was busy taking orders.

Coupled with the recent opening of The Coop, a shiny chrome stationary food trailer just over the state line at Gray’s Daily Grind, organizers say the breakfast nook at 26 Main Road is another way to give residents a place to gather and break bread. It’s on the same grounds as The Beer Field at the Village Green, a twice-monthly party and concert series that began last year and runs through October.

Though the lines were not long on Monday, the stream of visitors who began arriving just after 7 a.m. was steady and they waited in line to order from a chalkboard menu: eggs and home fries, breakfast burritos, chorizo hash with eggs and homemade salsa, and fresh yogurt and berry parfaits.

A father and son talked about the World Cup, members of the Kinnane family came out to see how it went, and others speculated about The Barn — though it sold in late 2024, the new owner has dropped plans to renovate it and Simmons Cafe, and both are on the market.

Chuck Kinnane, who helped get the beer field and breakfast place off the ground, was on the west coast and missed the big day. But he said he is excited that beside giving options to residents in need of socialization, the new venture is also a chance to celebrate local businesses that are trying to fill the void, including The Coop, Adamsville Wine and Spirits, Compton Clambakes, BBQ Y Mas, which did the breakfast honors Monday, and Elsie’s on the Commons.

“We are grateful to support all the local businesses that bring our community together,” he said, adding that he and other organizers are happy to open up their acreage to the restaurants and events that will do that.

“We’re so excited for Jose and Jason (Oliveira, of Compton Clambakes), The Coop, Elsie’s and supporters like Tim Griffin. We’re rooting for everyone’s success,” Kinnane said.

Elsie’s coming soon

Over at Elsie’s, formerly known as the Commons Lunch, Adam Donahue was too busy to stop for breakfast.

He and wife Kaitlin, who live in Portsmouth, purchased the restaurant earlier this month and while there is a long way to go, they hope to have it open and ready for the public in July. On Monday morning, Adam was busy talking to a contractor about the realities of running a restaurant, and the endless work and funds it can often take — “everything breaks in restaurants,” the contractor told him.

A few hours later, spouse Kaitlin, who was raised in Little Compton, laughed when she heard of the conversation — “We are working really hard,” she said.

But the work is OK because the restaurant is a labor of love, she said, and that’s clear even in the restaurant’s new name. Though Elsie is their daughter, her name itself honors Little Compton — “Elsie” was a deliberate nod to Little Compton’s initials. It seemed perfect for the restaurant, she said.

The Donahues have been blown away by the outpouring of support since they took over the former Commons Lunch, and a survey they sent out earlier this month drew more than 400 responses during its first day alone.

Respondents wanted to know what people wanted, and “how people responded really matched our vision, even down to the physical aspects like keeping the booths and doing a refresh, but keeping the old charm,” Kaitlin said.

“Jonnycakes were a huge ask,” she added. “And coffee. People want good coffee.”

Will they add them to the menu? Yes to both, she said.