Bringing People Together
- Jodi Brunner
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Article & Photo by Rachel Dutil
Amanda and Alyssa O’Brien are passionate, hardworking women who took a risk on an unusual business in a challenging spot and are humbled by the success they’ve seen in their first year at the Whistle Stop Fusion Barbecue & Craft Mocktails in Chazy.
The business is located in the former Chazy train station, just off Route 9, a space that has housed several businesses in the past decade. The O’Briens are breathing new life into the space with a beautiful new hand-painted sign, trackside outdoor seating, weekly smoothie and breakfast sandwich deliveries to local businesses, event catering, and private parties.
Alyssa’s grandparents opened The Weathercock Bar and Restaurant on Route 9 in Chazy in the 1960s. It operated until a 2023 fire destroyed the town landmark. The O’Brien women wanted to carry on that family legacy and put their own spin on it.
Amanda and Alyssa have been married for six years and admit that it was risky for two gay women to open an Asian barbecue restaurant in a small town. “It was a huge risk, coming into Chazy and starting a sober bar as a gay couple,” Amanda acknowledged, “but we’ve been embraced by the community,” Alyssa said, adding that many local business owners have reached out to them to offer their support.
Whistle Stop’s barbecue is Asian infused, which is atypical in the North Country, and their coleslaw is made without mayonnaise, also a new concept for many in the region. “Starting something unique in a small town took a leap of faith, but we knew it was what we were meant to do. And every day, we’re reminded that betting on yourself is always worth it,” Alyssa said.
Welcoming, Safe, Inventive
Amanda got her first job at a convenience store when she was 16 and realized she loved helping people and making them smile. She worked in dentistry and nursing before operating her own full time cleaning business for several years.
When asked which three words best describe her, Amanda chose welcoming, safe, and inventive. “We wanted to create a place where everyone feels welcomed,” she said when describing the Whistle Stop.
The O’Briens strive to greet each person when they enter, regardless of how busy they are. That initial contact of a warm smile and a ‘Hey, I’ll be right with you’ sets the tone for the whole experience. “Food brings people together,” Amanda said, adding that Alyssa’s food “is out of this world.” In many ways ‘safe’ is an extension of welcoming. “I feel like we are a safe place,” Amanda said. “We welcome all, no matter who you are, if you come here, you’re always going to feel welcome.”
Inventive speaks to Amanda’s creativity and resourcefulness. She purchased a nut machine on TikTok and makes nut, oat, cashew, and banana milk in house for smoothies. She enjoys following trends on social media and then figuring out how to incorporate new things at the Whistle Stop. “I’m always coming up with new ideas, new flavors, keeping up with the seasons, keeping up with TikTok fads,” Amanda remarked.
“The most important lesson I have learned in my career is to trust my own instincts and visions. True growth comes from having the courage to follow your gut, not the crowd,” Amanda noted.
Creative, Hungry, Proud
Alyssa was homeschooled and traveled with her family as a child, and she credits that with helping her to become an adventurous eater and an adventurous person. She chose creative, hungry, and proud as how best to best describe herself in three words. “Growing up, music was my life. I’ve always been creative and looking for different ways to express myself and I’ve always loved food,” she said. “The hungry is literal because I’m always hungry. I’m always hungry for the next thing. I love everything and try to change things up and look for the next exciting thing,” she said. “I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished. I’m proud of myself. I’m proud to be gay,” she elaborated.
Alyssa’s advice for multi-generational understanding is to pause and listen. “Every generation brings something valuable to the table, and we have so much to learn from one another. Growth comes from mutual respect and open-minded conversations.”
Authentic Relationships
Although it’s unusual, the focus on sobriety is an important component of their business for Amanda and Alyssa. Both have been sober for years – Amanda for four years and Alyssa for a year and a half.
Sobriety forces people out of their comfort zone, Alyssa noted. “I think that’s why so many people, myself included, are afraid of sobriety,” she said, but added that the relationships you build when you are sober are truly authentic.
“By emphasizing sobriety, it has reflected a broader commitment to promoting health, mental clarity and well-being,” Amanda said of their choice. “By offering mocktails with as much creativity as traditional cocktails, it shows that you can still have a lively, flavorful and exciting time without the need for alcohol, celebrating fun in a way that respects personal choices and health.
“We wanted to do something that would affect the community. We put out the love, and we have received just as much back,” Amanda said. “We are grateful every day.”
Although many married couples would prefer not to spend all their waking hours together, Amanda and Alyssa wouldn’t want it any other way. “I wouldn’t want to work with anybody else other than her because we get each other, we know what works,” Amanda said. “We’re a perfect team in all aspects of our life. We’ve grown a ton together through the phases of our lives. And this sobriety phase brought us closer together as well,” Alyssa concluded.
Whistle Stop Fusion Barbecue & Craft Mocktails
23 Old Station Drive
Chazy, NY
518 846-6300