A packet of coupons for freebies at local Burger King restaurants arrived in the mail last Tuesday.
But we won’t be redeeming ’em at the Burger King at 7589 Oswego St.
That very night, Dec. 27, the village BK outlet served its last value meal at 7 p.m. and then closed its doors, possibly for good.
Lagging sales and some sort of lease disagreement were cited as the reasons for the business closing. So the village will weather another darkened storefront, BK employees will shuffle off to other locations, and Whopper addicts will carry their coupons to Seventh North Street, Route 57 and Route 31.
I’m still hoping that a new franchise owner will reopen the burger joint. Heck, it’s a bona fide Liverpool landmark!
Carrols Club Burger
Burger King originated as Insta-Burger King in 1953 in Jacksonville, Fla., becoming BK in 1955, two years before unveiling its signature sandwich, The Whopper, in 1957.
About 1960, a Carrols Drive-In Restaurant opened on Oswego Street, serving 15-cent burgers and triple-thick milk shakes and 10-cent order of fries. Remember the Club Burger? I loved that Crisbo Royale Sauce!
Founded Syracuse vittles visionary Herb Slotnick, Carrols operated through 1975 when it entered into a franchise agreement with BK Corporation. A select number of Carrols locations, including Liverpool’s, were converted to Burger Kings. Carrols now owns more than 300 restaurants in 12 states; carrols.com.
So they’ve been flipping burgers at our Oswego Street location for more than 50 years!
And that’s historic hunger-busting!
Plate place sold
Speaking of Liverpool luncheon landmarks, the property at 105 First St. has recently been sold. For decades, the place thrived as Three Saints, Tutor’s and Foster’s, all super-successful bistros complete with an upstairs banquet hall.
The place last operated as Plate which closed in 2009. Owner Deborah Voss was asking an amazing $700,000-plus for the place, but the following year its mortgage was purchased by First Bank of Houston, Texas, which put it on the market for considerably less. This past summer, Hunt Commercial Real Estate took over for the bank, asking $350,000.
The “sold” sign went up on Dec. 23.
Realtor Dana Crocker said we’ll find out the name of the buyer, and his or her business plans, when the closing takes place probably in late-January.
Whitewater Pub prepped
Meanwhile, around the corner on South Willow Street, Joe Delguercio is hard at work renovating the restaurant previously known as Henning’s Wharf, Spinnakers and Salty’s by the Lake. In those incarnations it was primarily a fish fry, but the lighthouse-topped eatery will emerge this year as a full-service tavern and grill named the Whitewater Pub.
Joe D has a good track record in the bar biz. He managed a Bennigan’s restaurant for several years before opening his own Easy Street Pub in Solvay.
The Whitewater Pub should start flowing in April, and Joe’s planning an upscale tavern menu featuring chicken riggies, Buffalo wings and burgers.
Barking Gull scoop
And we can expect some changes this year next door at the Barking Gull, one of three prime properties owned by John Gormel, the man with the mile-wide smile. Why the permanent grin? John’s the brains and the brawn behind The Retreat, The Cobblestone and The Barking Gull, epicurean achievements all, all right here in the village.
Come summertime, says son Adam Gormel, The Gull will open a lakeside ice-cream stand. For the past three years or so, the place has hosted private parties only, but Adam says there’s a good chance it’ll open to the public later in 2012.
Stay tuned.
