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nthony’s Legacy of Loyalty and LongevityA
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North Country Foodie • February 2020 Legacy of Loyalty & Longevity
10 Anthony’s Restaurant & Bistro’s two Ls are loyalty and longevity.
2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the award-winning fine-dining establishment, which serves New American cuisine in country-chic elegance.
LONG HAUL The place where locals enjoy scrumptious lunch/dinner services and celebrate milestones begins with owner/executive chef Scott Murray, who started there 37 years ago.
He purchased the business from founders Drew and Linda Sabella in 2009.
“When Drew and Linda retired and I bought the business, we really didn’t add any positions,” Scott says. “So, I remain executive chef, but I also took over some of what they’re doing. Then, Deb Rascoe, one of my bar managers, I made an office manager to kind of take up some of what Linda was doing but kept everything in house.”
His hats are more, but different. “As Drew told me it would be,” Scott says. “As the GM and the chef, you’re working for the ownership, but you’re also working to maintain the loyalty of the staff.”
EMPOWERING EMPLOYEES
The shift gives Scott energy for the business facets.
“So that kind of worked out well,” he says.
Scott fine tunes a management team on the floor: Michael Minehan (maître d’hôtel), Scott Williams (maître d’hôtel/catering manager), Deb Rascoe (office manager/bar manager), and Jimmy Golovach (main bar manager/decorating/grounds).
“I wanted us to get together and be equal parts,” Scott says.
“I think that brought in a little bit of ownership, and then in the kitchen, I treat them the same way.”
Behind the kitchen’s two swinging doors is the realm of Amy Upton (sous chef), John LeBarge, (sous chef), and Josh Dilly (sous chef).
“I like to sit down with Amy and John and Josh and give them a lot of say,” Scott says.
“It’s fun for them.” Scott’s major conceptual change was to empower and elevate the service staff to the same level as the kitchen staff.
“And not to say that the service staff wasn’t talented, they just didn’t have the ownership that I felt that the kitchen staff had,” he says.
“Buying into the importance of every aspect of the business. I brought that kind of loyalty and camaraderie and nucleus of the kitchen to the floor when I became the owner. We had it in the kitchen, and I wasn’t sure that we had it on the floor.”
LEGACY OF SERVICE Anthony’s is successful because of the staff ’s longevity: Rascoe-15 years, Minehan-25 years, Williams-25 years, Owner/executive chef Scott Murray’s success is due in part because his staff shows up to create memories day after day after day. By Robin Caudell Photos by Kayla Breen
Anthony’s Restaurant & Bistro employees pose behind the bar.
North Country Foodie • February 2020 Upton-33 years, LaBarge-25 years, Dilly-20 years, and Golovach-26 years. “Amy Upton started here as a dishwasher,” Scott says.
“She became my sous chef by ‘88 or ‘89. Most of my staff today started with me as dishwashers. My next line chef is John LeBarge. He’s my nighttime sous chef, and I call him my head line chef. He started with me as a dishwasher from Peru High School as an 18 yearold.
“My line chef aft er that is Josh Dilly. He came here from Red Lobster.” Steve Gricoski (pantry chef) has 20 years, Jeremy Yelle (waiter) has 10 years, Steve Holdridge (bar manager/ gardener) has eight years.
“Really you can see that the theme is creating a loyalty and a career situation for people so they want to be involved in your vision and what you want to do,” Scott says.
“Th at’s really the main asset, the people.”
When Scott purchased the business, he had a diff erent theory.
“I was looking for more full-time, career oriented servers,” he says.
“Although we had some longevity in that, some had left and taken on other careers. I still have some people who work part-time for me that have been here for many, many years. I would say the average tenure on the server right now is 10 years.”
Jay Lesage (vocalist/pianist) has 16 years.
“He replaced Al Delano,” Scott says. Delano played at Anthony’s piano bar for 23 years before relocating to Florida in 2003.
“It’s a unique place,” Scott says. FAMILY AFFAIR Th ough he puts in long hours, he doesn’t mind because his daughters, Cara and Ali, are right there.
Cara (line chef) has 11 years of service, and Ali (server/trainer) has 10 years.
Th ey both started when they were 15 years old and are SUNY Plattsburgh alums.
“What I keep trying to not do is hand somebody something that they don’t deserve,” Scott says.
“I want my kids to deserve what they get. And, so they do. It’s kind of a nice story.” “ Th at’s really the main asset, the people. - Scott Murray
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