NEW SCOTLAND – Bar business has been in John Jeffers’s family for over 30 years. He is the last of seven in his family to run a bar.
"It’s in my blood," he says.

Jeffers, along with his wife, Kim, and his brother Jim, recently opened J.J. Maddens on Route 85 in New Scotland. The J’s represent John and Jim and Madden was their mother’s maiden name.

The final phase of the bar and restaurant – a large deck off the back of the building – is now complete. J.J. Maddens will host a deck-opening party Friday night, Aug. 3. The party will be a Twisted Tea Party, with live music and the Twisted Tea girls offering samples of their malt liquor beverage.

The place is doing well after a few setbacks ; the Jeffers were forced to shut down for three weeks just after opening in February as a result of a septic-system failure, and then struggled to get air-conditioning installed, all while in the midst of building the deck.

The building has an interesting history. The back portion was built in the 1840’s as a farmhouse. The front portion was built in 1966, when the building was used as a convent. After the nuns left, the building served as the Heavenly Inn restaurant and later as Auberge Swisse. The Jeffers have put neon signs in the tops of the gothic stone arches that front the building.

The Jeffers came across many religious artifacts when cleaning the building in preparation for opening. Both John and Kim Jeffers spoke of finding a confessional in the area that is now the bar; the raised sitting area to the far left of the bar used to serve as the altar. They also found a crucifix hanging on the wall of the old altar, and Jeffers says he had his mother come over and bless it before he would touch it.

The restaurant offers three separate small dining areas in addition to the bar, which has tables as well as bar seating. The menu offers a variety of appetizers, salads, soup of the day, steak, burgers, and sandwiches, ranging in price from $6 -$13. It also offers daily dinner specials.

In addition to its menu, J.J. Maddens has an assortment of ice-cold draft beers, and a fully-stocked liquor and wine shelf. Servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff walk around with bright smiles and seem to enjoy their jobs. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.
Jeffers says that people in New Scotland have been "very, very receptive" to his new business, and he considers it to be a "unique bar." He will have live music on his back deck on weekends throughout the summer.

J.J. Maddens is open seven days a week. Monday through Thursday hours are11 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from noon to midnight.