The Finger Lakes community is welcoming back a popular eatery with the reopening of "Nolan's on Canandaigua Lake" 15 months after a fire destroyed the restaurant.
Owner Nick Violas says the community came together to support the rebuild, including hundreds of residents attending a fundraiser to benefit employees, help from contractors, crucial loans from the local bank, and a $416 thousand dollar economic development grant from the state.
"We projected a certain amount of employment, we agreed to employ a certain way. We projected a certain amount of revenue we're going to bring into the community with sales tax, property tax, and those things. So I think in the end we feel pretty confident that we're going to prove that the money they infused into the community through us will be a worthwhile investment," he said.
Violas adds it's been a difficult 15 month rebuilding process with a lot of ups and downs.
"It seemed like everything we were in a dark moment, somebody seemed to come up to the plate and help guide us through. So we feel very blessed and lucky for all the help that we got through this process," he said.
Construction of the $2.4 million dollar restaurant took 8 months.
It will employ 20 full-time and 50 part-time staff.
Violas says he can't wait to get back to business so he can pay back everyone that made this possible.
The restaurant officially opens to the public on Monday.