From left, Kevin Forster, bartender Maya Johnson and Joe Forster hold down the fort at Tavern on the Line. (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)

DRACUT — When Joe and Trish Forster retired from the phone company, they didn’t get hung up on what to do next.

They retired from Verizon at a young age – in their early 50s – and knew they needed something else to fill their days. At the same time, Maguire’s Tavern, in Bridgewood Plaza at 1794 Bridge Street, Dracut, went on the market. The Forsters answered the call and bought the spot, opening Tavern on the Line in September 2019.

These days, business at the Tavern on the Line – Dracut Economic Development’s Business of the Month for March 2024 — is off the hook. In fact, the Forsters recently had to add more seating in a side room off the main dining room to accommodate more of the people who had to be turned away for lack of seats.

But let’s dial it back a bit.

Just six months after they opened, a little something called Covid-19 came along. In March 2020, the Tavern – and every other establishment open to the public – was forced into a “new normal.” Meals to go, masks and mandates were the rule of the day, which became a week, then a month, then a year, and so on.

“Talk about a stressful time,” Joe said. “We opened in September, and six months later we’re told we have to close for March, April, May, June … it was a tough time for the industry.”

They managed to survive with a takeout business and, when the weather cooperated, by adding outdoor dining.

The sign out front features Tavern on the Line’s logo, which features two telephone poles to signify Joe and Trish Forster’s former employer, Verizon. (COURTESY TAVERN ON THE LINE)

Joe said Dracut’s administration was solidly supportive of businesses trying to stay afloat in the deep and murky waters of the pandemic.

“Dracut did everything to help businesses,” he said.

“The selectmen were wonderful,” he added, giving particular praise to Shannon Rowe, the Board of Selectmen’s Executive Assistant, and favorably comparing Dracut’s response to that of surrounding communities. “Dracut removed barriers where other towns put them up.”

During the pandemic, Joe and Trish’s son, Kevin, 28 (another son, Joe Jr., 30, is a plumber in town), was laid off and went to work for them at the restaurant. Though his former company called him twice in the pandemic’s aftermath to rehire him, he declined the offers.

“I liked working in the corporate world,” Kevin said, “but I realized I kinda liked working here.”

Tavern on the Line added more seating to help satisfy the crowds. (COURTESY TAVERN ON THE LINE)

Kevin staying on board also provides a plan for the future of Tavern on the Line. At some point, Joe and Trish know they’ll retire – for good this time – either up north to their home on Lake Winnipesaukee, south to Florida, or both. As Joe said, it’s good to know Kevin has taken a shine to the restaurant business and will be around to keep the Tavern going.

Since the world reopened, business at Tavern on the Line has been hopping. With seating for 72 and a total occupancy of 90, the Tavern is packed most nights, especially Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Of course, it’s a good problem to have, but Joe said they hear it from customers who can’t get in the door.

“We’re doing very well,” he said. “But I know people get mad when they can’t find a seat.”

Tavern on the Line’s famous chicken “crackettes” are available every other Wednesday (not every Wednesday, people!). (COURTESY TAVERN ON THE LINE)

Another reason for people’s “anger” is when the Tavern doesn’t have the chicken croquettes as a special on Wednesdays.

The Tavern is regularly fills its social-media feeds with photos of each day’s mouth-watering specials. For instance, Fridays are always Fish Friday, with seafood items populating the specials. On Thursdays, it’s country fried chicken. The prime-rib special is very popular on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

But nothing compares to the popularity of the chicken croquettes (or, as head chef Jimmy Watson calls them, crackettes). The thing is, they’re only available every other Wednesday. So when folks come in on an off Wednesday expecting the chicken croquettes, there are a lot of disappointed diners.

“We get texts, emails, phone calls, ‘Why didn’t you have the croquettes?’ We get borderline death threats,” Joe said. (We think he was kidding.)

Shortly after they opened, Joe reached out to Dracut resident Jimmy Watson, the former chef at the now-closed J.J. Boomers in Lowell. Jimmy came out of retirement, bringing along a lot of Boomers’ regulars who missed his cooking.

The prime rib is a popular special at Tavern on the Line Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays after 5 p.m. (COURTESY TAVERN ON THE LINE)

“Jimmy’s great,” Joe said. “Trish and I didn’t know anything about food when we opened, so getting Jimmy here was a big step.”

He said Jimmy and his kitchen staff use only fresh ingredients and hand-prepare most everything that comes out of the kitchen.

“It’s labor-intensive, but the food tastes so much better,” Joe said.

When Joe isn’t running a restaurant with about 20 employees, golfing or talking politics, he’s the unofficial mayor of Bridgewood Plaza. (Actually, he is president of the plaza’s condo association.) You can often see him leaf-blowing outside his restaurant, then continuing down the line to take care of the other businesses in the plaza. He and Trish also like to patronize the other businesses along the strip, including the other restaurants. They believe success for one business leads to success for the others.

From left, Trish Forster, Ann Tierney and Maya Johnson show off hockey sticks signed by various Bruins that were raffled off during a recent fundraiser at Tavern on the Line for Maya’s upcoming Boston Marathon run. She is raising money for Punch 4 Parkinson’s. (COURTESY TAVERN ON THE LINE)

Though both are retired from Verizon – Joe was a lineman, Trish a technician – they remain active in the community, never just phoning it in. They offer the Tavern’s facilities for fundraisers for various causes on a regular basis. Joe also sits on the Board of Directors of Dracut Charity Golf and Align Credit Union, and is a volunteer member of the Economic Development Committee.

When coming up with a name for their restaurant, Joe and Trish, who raised their family on Stonebridge Drive in Dracut, decided on a double play on words. Of course, there is their history with the phone company, but also, Tavern on the Line is less than a mile from the Pelham line. The inventive logo reflects the phone connection, incorporating two telephone poles with a line between them, and two birds resting on the line.

If you’re looking for lunch or dinner and a drink, maybe trying your luck at Keno, you’ll feel welcome at Tavern on the Line.

For more information, visit www.tavernontheline.com, or call 978-452-0500.