水果派AV

If Joe Smith has his way, it will be open again before 2023.

Smith, of Throop, has purchased the 96 State St. restaurant from the Dello Stritto family, who have owned and operated Curley's since opening it in 1933.

According to Cayuga County property records, Smith purchased the property on Friday for $400,000. The restaurant includes a 1,700-square-foot mahogany deck overlooking the Owasco River.

Both will be renovated over the next few months, Smith told 水果派AV on Monday. The owner of Lakeside Construction, Smith said he wants to make the restaurant look as original as possible. For instance, to renovate the exterior, he has tracked down the kind of handmade clay bricks that were commonly used 100 years ago from a vendor in Elbridge, he said.

The result will "blow people's minds," Smith said.

"This is surreal to me, and an honor," he said. "So many people love this place, so to be part of bringing it back to the city means a lot to me."

Inside the restaurant, Smith and his wife, Jessica Smith, plan to shift the traditionally Italian menu toward more tavern fare. There will be a signature burger, which they want to become known as "the best burger in Auburn," he said. But they've purchased some favorite Curley's recipes from the Dello Strittos, including the pizza, breaded chicken and jojo potato fries.

The Red Suspender Room in the basement will return as well, Smith said, but possibly with some changes in its rental policy. Above Curley's, he wants to renovate the two three-bedroom apartments for either rental or use on Airbnb. They need a new sprinkler system, he said, but otherwise, he wants to preserve them as much as possible, particularly their "very impressive" woodwork.

Owning a restaurant has been a lifelong dream, Smith said. Still, neither he nor his wife have much experience working at one, so they plan to hire managers, cooks and other staff who can help them. That includes some former employees of the restaurant, who have reached out about returning. Smith can also turn for advice to his parents, who own a restaurant in the Catskills region.

The Dello Strittos have been "extremely kind" to Smith during the transition, he said, "even though it definitely wasn't easy for them." Three generations of the family ran the restaurant, beginning with founder Angelo "Curley" Dello Stritto. It closed in March 2020, when all restaurants across the state were limited to takeout and delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.聽

The family listed the restaurant for sale for $625,000 in December. Its 2022 full market value is $367,400, according to Cayuga County property records.

Smith said work on the Curley's exterior will begin in a week or two. He hopes to reopen the restaurant within three to four months.

"So many people love it," he said. "I don't think it'll be hard getting people back in it."