Kevin Gentile, the chef owner of popular restaurant Gentile’s, thought that finding a new location for his business on North Geddes Street was going to be a very good thing; however, the move 12 months ago did not turn out quite the way that Gentile has expected.
“I found this location and it was absolutely perfect for me,” Gentile remembers. “Banquet facility upstairs, main dining room downstairs, and able to increase my kitchen.” The relocation hit a sizable snag, however, when a holdup on the part of the New York State Liquor Authority resulted in him having no choice but to operate his restaurant for a full year without being legally allowed to serve the specialty drinks that he is known for. Regular customers began to stop coming to the restaurant and the business suffered financially as a result.
“I honestly had never thought that my front door worked the way that it did,” Gentile notes. “It reminded me of a revolving door. As soon as they came in they left.”
What Gentile had not known at the time of the relocation was that a state regulation meant that no alcohol could be served within 200 feet of a church, despite the fact that the three churches surrounding the restaurant had given their support to his request.
Gentile had to go to New York City and fight for his license in person, with the green light finally being given last Wednesday. The restaurant has wasted no time in preparing a long list of springtime cocktails for patrons to choose from.
myMovingNews
