NORTHAMPTON — A New York City chef originally from Northampton has entered into negotiations for a partial buyout of Haymarket Cafe, with the intention of eventually taking over operations from current owner Peter Simpson as well as repaying former employees who had worked for Simpson.

Colby Wood, who grew up in Northampton before moving to New York City to pursue a culinary career, said he got his first kitchen job working at the Haymarket when he was 19 and received encouragement from Simpson to enter culinary school.

“He [Simpson] had heard that I had gotten approved to go to culinary school, and he said, ‘I don’t want to see you here next week,’” Wood recalled in an interview. “He was like, I’m not firing you, you can come back whenever you want, but I want you to go to culinary school and chase your dreams.”

Since then, Wood has gone on to work at acclaimed Michelin-star restaurants in New York City, including the French restaurant Le Bernardin in Midtown Manhattan and sushi restaurant Masa, located by Columbus Circle. Currently, Wood says he runs a consulting firm for other restaurants, helping them achieve higher standards and help train cooks on new recipes.

But when Wood saw that Simpson had posted a GoFundMe asking for money to help reopen the restaurant and pay some of the debts he owed, he reached out to his former employer.

“I started to ask some friends around to spread the rumor that I might come back and do a homecoming,” he said.

Simpson’s GoFundMe to help recover the business quickly raised more than $20,000, but started to dwindle after several former employees accused him of poor treatment, failure to pay wages and sanitation concerns. The GoFundMe currently stands at $27,800 of its $50,000 goal.

Simpson said he was excited to start working with Wood and resume the business.

“If I had to pick a partner, he couldn’t be a better choice,” Simpson said. “He’s talented in ways I’m not and vice-versa, and I think the cafe will be able to come back in ways that it hasn’t been able to before.”

Although Wood said there was “no excuse” for Simpson’s recent actions toward employees, he also defended his former boss, noting the many positive contributions Simpson has provided the community over the years and that Simpson had also been facing many recent personal struggles and had been unable to separate them from his business operations.

“I feel like Peter has not been able to step outside of his restaurant for the past 30 years to make the changes needed to grow in this industry,” Wood said.

Wood said he’s discussed the situation at Haymarket with both Simpson and former employees, and intends to compensate staff who had been denied payment in the past.

“I’m in talks with ex-employees to make sure that they’re going to get paid, make sure that they’re OK,” Wood said. “Everything is coming out of my personal finance.”

In an interview, Simpson said he was open to talking with any former employee who feels they mistreated him, but also pushed back against some of the allegations.

“I don’t want to dismiss the way anyone has felt, but in this country you’re supposed to be innocent before proven guilty,” he said. “It feels like it’s just been decided that I’m guilty and have to suck it up.”

Wood said that the current plan would be for him to take over the financial side of the business. t, allowing Wood to receive all profits related to Haymarket. Wood said he would attempt to secure a bank loan to complete the buyout after the cafe reopens. He also said he would need about $100,000 to make over the cafe.

“With my halfway in, I can substantiate him [Simpson] not being on the property anymore, not needing to run it,” Wood said. “He doesn’t have to be involved in the day-to-day operations.”

Wood said that the legal specifications of the deal were still being worked out, to ensure he does not assume any of Simpson’s debts and liabilities when taking over operations, but that an agreement was expected to be reached next week.

“I feel like a fresh start for him would be the best way to keep it going,” Wood said. “I believe in the place.”

Over the past two years, the cafe has struggled to stay in business, opening and closing for several intermittent periods. As of Thursday, the cafe remained closed. 

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.