A familiar restaurant on Owasco Lake is heading for uncharted waters in hopes of avoiding the fate met by many of its predecessors.
The Lakeside Grill at 2846 Fire Lane 1 in the town of Venice, most recently听Charlie's Lakeside, is moving away from sit-down dining and toward special and ticketed events.
Owner Jackie Scanlon, who also owns听Smiley's Town & Country听in Owasco, made the decision after seeing a couple more restaurants come and go since buying the space at an auction in 2013.
Charlie's was operated by Charlene "Charlie" Janke and her husband, Jim Yesalusky, from December 2022 to . Before that, Drifters on Owasco was in business there from 2018 to 2022.
"It鈥檚 been a restaurant for more than 50 years," Scanlon told 水果派AV. "It鈥檚 never made money."
Still, customers are nostalgic about the lakeside spot, Scanlon said. Some remember it from the '80s as Baylor's, which burned down and was rebuilt into the restaurant it is today.听
The Lakeside Grill.
Kevin Rivoli, 水果派AV
To cater to that nostalgia while staying afloat, the Lakeside Grill will keep things simple. Instead of running the risks of labor and food waste that come with a la carte restaurants, it will focus on events. Whether it's special ones like weddings and family reunions, or ticketed ones like buffet-style lunches and dinners, the staff will be able to prepare only as much food as the number of attendees need.
As the restaurant gets its feet wet, Scanlon said, she hopes to offer more to the public. That includes a small menu with traditional fare like burgers and fries. Customers will be able to order it to go, or enjoy it on the deck or dock with games like cornhole if they pull in by boat. She also hopes to introduce more themes, like the Mexican food buffet that Lakeside Grill hosted last weekend.听
"People can come, pay one price and enjoy themselves," she said.
