Breathing new life into Jacks Reef
By Connor Fogel
A service with a smile every single time. That’s what Jacks Reef Cafe’s manager Jennifer Loperfido hopes to offer at the sit-down and takeout restaurant and convenience store opening soon in Elbridge.
Jacks Reef Cafe, located at 1115 Old State Route 31, plans to open later this month serving breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside its convenience store full of groceries and its ice cream window.
“This community has never had a place like this,” Loperfido said. “Where they could come in, sit down and get full service with a meal, and also pick up some grocery items or snacks and beverages that are needed.”
Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays to Thursdays and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant will serve burgers, sandwiches, fresh-cut house fries, pasta dishes, soups and salads, and on each Friday the restaurant will have a fish fry.
Before becoming Jacks Reef Cafe, the building had been used as grocery and convenience stores as well as a pizzeria but never a place to get groceries as well as to sit and be served. Having been in the restaurant industry for 17 years, Loperfido sees the restaurant and convenience store as a great addition to the community.
The restaurant’s Facebook page already has over 340 likes and followers, and Loperfido said town residents have been talking about how excited they are to see Jacks Reef Cafe open.
“I think that the entire area is super psyched and cannot wait to flip the open sign,” Loperfido said. “We get lots of passersby. People stop and ask questions all the time every day.”
Ken Bush, the town of Elbridge town supervisor, also believes the community will embrace the restaurant and its convenience store. The restaurant is the beginning of a “resurgence” in the Jacks Reef area, Bush said.
Bush said the progress in the area is also a result of the Tri-Town Water District, in which the towns of Van Buren, Lysander and Northern Town of Elbridge all share a healthy, public water supply. Jacks Reef is where the three towns meet.
“Hopefully it will return a sense of community and a gathering place for the local residents in the area as well as a great spot for the recreation that takes place in the area on the river and the waterway. So that’s going to be a big plus,” Bush said.
Loperfido said she is still accepting applications for the restaurant and convenience store, and she hopes that when the Jacks Reef Cafe opens, residents will tell her of any groceries and supplies they would like to see offered that the store may not have yet.
“I’m looking forward to making the locals in this area happy with their service and consistency with food and service,” Loperfido said.
