Live music, good food and positive energy are the driving factors behind The Perch, Keene’s newest burrito hub and bar, according to co-owner and proprietor Myles Bergin.
“We’re trying to make an awesome spot for the town and college during the night, with good food, good drinks and good music,” said Bergin.
The Perch, a brainchild of Bergin and business partner Warren Steinberg, has been soft launching the opening of the restaurant, as well as their menu for the past few weeks, with the business’s flagship burritos being introduced to the public on Friday, Oct. 3. Bergin, who spent over two years managing Penuche’s Ale House in Keene said he is excited to serve the city, local music and the KSC community.
“Supporting the local community and Keene State is huge for us. Getting local bands and people from KSC will, in my opinion, bring that community sense here and we’re excited,” said Bergin.
Local band The Swordfish has already taken The Perch’s stage. Composed of current and former KSC students, the band said they are excited to bring crowds to the growing restaurant. The Swordfish played at The Perch for the first time on Saturday, Oct. 4, marking the first time they have played at a bar. The band had previously played at the 2025 Keene Music Festival.
“Our band is big on four things: Rock, indie, country and blues. People seem to like it and have a good time at the gigs and house parties we play at. Right now it’s our hobby, but we hope to turn it into something more,” senior and guitarist/singer Cooper Florio said.
“The energy works off of each other. We want the crowd to get as excited as possible and that comes back to us getting as excited as possible. The more people who show up and have a good time, the more we can feed off that energy and play as hard as we can and have a good time,” senior, keyboardist and producer Thomas Cahil said.
One patron, who preferred to be identified as Crumpy, enjoyed the opening of burrito night.
“The place is great. We have cheap house drinks, and it’s the best place to come out, hang with the boys and watch the game,” said Crumpy.
“They’ve got the best pool tables in town, so if you want to play pool, you come to The Perch,” added Crumpy.
Sophomore Dillon Lawrie said he is excited to see more live music and food coming to Keene.
“I’ll check it out, now that I know about it. I’ve been looking for good food in town and haven’t found it yet, so I’ll be keeping my hopes high,” said Lawrie.
“Most of the franchise places like McDonald’s or Taco Bell have been hit or miss, and I haven’t checked out the local places yet so I’ll be keeping this on my radar,” added Lawrie.
First-year Shukurani Masimango said that she was unaware of the new restaurant but echoed Lawrie’s enthusiasm for local food and entertainment options.
“I think KSC is a place where students need more live entertainment and food options, and I think this sounds like a lot of fun,” said Masimango. “If I have time, I’ll definitely be checking it out.”
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
