A decade in, Misery Loves Co. evolves again

Misery Loves Co. in Winooski underwent renovations to accommodate a new business model. The restaurant and market are now open at 46 Main Street in Winooski. Photo by Kayla Duvel.

Before they went brick and mortar, Laura Wade and Aaron Josinsky served food from an old Winnebago they parked around Winooski. And as the couple’s now-permanent restaurant Misery Loves Co. hits 10 years, they are evolving once again.

Misery Loves Co. reopened Tuesday more than two months after closing its doors to undergo significant renovations.

“It kinda took us 10 years to really figure out what we really needed,” said Wade, who co-owns the Winooski business with Josinsky, her husband.

“Our kitchen was tiny,” she said, “[and] we just needed more space honestly.”

The Main Street spot now features indoor and outdoor dining, a revamped market and other changes.

Wade described how the new changes reflect her business’ evolution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the height of the pandemic, with their usual indoor eating shut down, she and her husband opened a market in the building to sell local goods and produce. That’s now a permanent part of the operation.

“We used to try to pull people out of their lives into this magic space, like, ‘You can forget all of your troubles and cares when you walk in the door,’ and now I feel we’re more like, ‘Let’s create more balanced lives, okay? Let’s get food to you at home so you can be with your family,’” said Wade, who moved to Winooski proper with her husband in 2019.

Business manager Logan Bouchard compared the reopening to riding a bike. “We learned a new way over the last couple of years, and now we get to sort of relearn,” he said.

The Misery Loves Co. team decided to leave their windows unplastered during renovations. 

“It's not smoke and mirrors anymore — this is what we are doing,” Wade said. “We wanted people to be part of it, feel like they could see the transitions happening and understand and also realize how much hard work it was, you know?”

And in stark contrast to many small business owners who had to permanently close during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wade and Josinsky will soon open a sister business in Winooski: Onion City Chicken and Oysters, or OCCO, for short.

Asked about their secret to success, Wade smiled and said, “We’re scrappy.”

The new joint is set to open in late August in the Winooski rotary, taking the place of El Cortijo. The owners envision the new restaurant as a nighttime complement to their existing restaurant.

Misery Loves Co.’s restaurant is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the market is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“It feels wonderful to be back in our space,” Wade said.