SPECIAL REPORT
For Sale: Your Very Own Restaurant After surviving the pandemic many aging restaurant owners are retiring, leading to a glut of establishments for sale By Ken Sturtz
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tephanie Goodsell worked at the same Pulaski diner for years before purchasing the business in 2016 and changing the name to Steph’s Place. After decades in the food service industry as both employee and owner, however, she’s put the diner up for sale. “I’ve been doing it for 33 years,” she said. “It’s time to retire and enjoy life.” Goodsell isn’t alone. More restaurants and bars have come on the market in Oswego County this year than at any
time in recent memory. The longtime owners of Vona’s Restaurant in Oswego put the business up for sale. In Fulton, Mimi’s Drive-In and Tavern on the Lock are for sale. Other establishments that have come up for sale this year include RiverHouse Restaurant, in Pulaski; Gary’s Sports Bar, in Oswego; Sand Bar & Grill, in Constantia; J.D.’s Tavern and Grill, in Sandy Creek; Daddy Ed’s Diner in Mexico; Happy Valley Inn, in Parish;
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and Stick’s Sports Bar & Grill, in New Haven. In January, Mr. Sub, a popular Pulaski eatery, changed hands after longtime owner Sherrie Miles retired. Old City Hall, in Oswego, also known as the Market House, was recently purchased by businessman Ed Alberts for $1.5 million. The COVID-19 pandemic battered restaurants especially hard and while the industry has rebounded, benefiting from pent-up consumer demand, soaring costs across all areas of the business persist. In a survey released by the National Restaurant Association, more than eight in 10 restaurant owners reported that their food, beverage and labor costs are now higher than before the pandemic. Despite measures taken to address higher costs — raising prices, cutting hours and changing menu offerings — 85% said their restaurant is less profitable than it was in 2019. While every restaurant dealt with significant challenges during the pandemic, it doesn’t appear to be the
