The lights are back on at Hawkes Plaza in Westbrook, and none are more noticeable than the famous Hawkes TV repairman sign that is now operating steadily for the first time since 1989.
At the center of the revitalization is Lenny’s, a new bar and restaurant developed by Bill Umbel, which hosted a soft opening last week following years of redevelopment. Umbel, the former owner of Empire Dine and Dance in downtown Portland, has been renovating and retrofitting the former TV repair business into a restaurant.
The building once housed the business and a record label, Event Records, run by country music legend Al Hawkes, who still lives a few blocks away. Hawkes was on hand during opening night Feb. 17. The name Lenny’s is an homage to Lenny Breau, a well-known guitarist who recorded with Hawkes in the building during the late 1950s.
According to Umbel, the first few nights were a success, with large crowds and plenty of positive feedback about the food. But, he said, there are some kinks to work out.
“It was very well-received and people love the room,” he said. “I’m thrilled and glad to be part of the community.”
The focus on food has been the goal since the beginning, he said. The Lenny’s menu has been described as upscale pub fare, locally sourced and homemade. For the first few weeks, they will be serving a limited menu.
He said he meant the weekend to be a soft opening so that his staff of eight employees could focus on quality. For now, Umbel said, Lenny’s is open from about 4-10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
Umbel bought the building when he still owned Empire in Portland, a popular Congress Street restaurant and music venue. He sold Empire in 2012, has since spent years restoring the Westbrook building, and met difficulty turning the aged space into a working kitchen. At one point, he received a liquor license from the city, which eventually expired, forcing him to renew prior to opening.
Music will begin with a performance by well-known guitarist and songwriter Denny Breau – Lenny’s younger brother – on Sunday, March 13.
Phil Spiller Jr., a resident of Westbrook’s Duck Pond neighborhood, has been helping Umbel with public relations prior to the opening. On Monday, he said the official opening of Lenny’s will most likely be Thursday, March 10.
Spiller said the neighborhood, surrounding the intersection of Route 302 and Duck Pond and Hardy roads, is undergoing a revitalization.
“The sign hasn’t operated since 1989 on a continual basis, the same year Al shut down his Hawkes TV/Sound Cellar business,” he said.
Bill Umbel, the owner of Lenny’s Pub in Westbrook, positions a light below the iconic Hawkes Plaza “walking man” sign off Route 302 last week, as country music legend Al Hawkes (who built the sign in 1955) looks on. Umbel hosted a soft opening of the new bar and restaurant last week, following a lengthy process to renovate the building. 
Lenny’s owner Bill Umbel, far left, looks over the operation during the opening night of his new bar and restaurant in Westbrook. The building was once the home of Hawkes TV and the iconic Event Records. A working music studio still occupies the basement level.
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