Brighton House Executive Chef Hangs Up His Apron

Bill McConnell has seen a lot of changes in 32-and-a-half years at , but he’s hanging up his apron.

The executive chef, 57, worked his last day at the restaurant Thursday; he had spent nearly all his career there -- and he learned everything on the job.

After spending six years in art school at Kent State and a private art school in Canton, OH, he trained by working in nearby Ohio restaurants. He felt that he wasn't going to make any more progress there and moved on to live in Ann Arbor, where he had some friends. After that, he took the job at  and the rest is history.

During his time as executive chef, McConnell saw a lot of changes. He worked with former owner Jim Bugaski for 26 years before current owner Terry Murray took over; Murray and McConnell have worked together for almost seven years now.

Originally, the restaurant seated only 80 people and grossed an average of about $600,000 to $800,000 annually. It its “heyday,” McConnell said, an addition was built that included a banquet room, just about doubling the restaurant’s size. Today, the restaurant seats 150 in the dining room and 30 more in the banquet room. McConnel said it grossed its top figure of $2.4 million -- and it still does well.

He said he has “reset” the menu between 28 and 32 times. “You have to change with the times,” he explained.

Some things haven’t changed -- the 's target audience and a few of the dishes served. “We’ve always sort of targeted the middle class [clientele],” he explained. “We have some classics we’ve stuck with. Your regular customers don’t like radical change.”

Murray added that there has been a turkey dinner at the restaurant every day since the Brighton House opened. It's a tradition that will continue, he said, explaining, "If I ever take that off the menu, I will be hung, drawn and quartered."

McConnell said that while he’s enjoyed his position there enormously, the lead chef position is very “mentally and physically challenging”; he believes it’s time for him to move on and leave this challenging position to one of the younger generation.

Because McConnell’s wife of 19 years, Kathy, also waits tables at the restaurant, his last day was an emotional day for both of them, as well as many other staff members, who make up a “great big family,” Murray said.

“Both Kathy and Bill are just absolutely wonderful!” he exclaimed. “It wouldn’t have been Brighton House without them. He will be dearly missed. He’s got a lot of friends here and he’s been here a long time.”

Eirik Kauserud, executive chef of , was friends with both of McConnell’s sons growing up. “He was a mentor and a father figure,” said Kauserud, who also worked under McConnell for four-and-a-half years at the Brighton House as its night chef.

McConnell’s tutelage was vital to Kauserud’s current success. “When I left the Brighton House, I actually had the capacity to be a chef,” he recalled. “If it wasn’t for Bill, that wouldn’t be possible.”

In his spare time, McConnell enjoys gardening (he mostly grows herbs) and hunting, but he’s most looking forward to more time with his family.

“I’m kind of a homebody,” he said. “I don’t go out much.”

He has five children: identical twins Erin and Elizabeth, who live with him and Kathy in their Howell home; Jessica, 32; Daniel, 28; and Justin (now deceased, who would have been 31 this year). 

While he’s retiring from , McConnell says this doesn’t spell the end of his career; he will work part-time somewhere because he’s too young to truly retire. “Also, I’m too hyper,” he added with a laugh. 

So far, he’s made no future plans. He and Kathy might even spend more time in Naples, FL this winter visiting his sister than usual, but he’s not over-thinking things. “Right now, my plan is to take the summer off and see what comes up,” McConnell concluded.