After nine frustrating winters in Lake George, Joe Porreca will close Smokey Joe’s Saloon and Grill from November to April. He has started a new business, called Smokey Joe’s Tavern, that opened in July.
It features the same menu and is open seven days a week, all year round.
The new Smokey Joe’s is located at 1471 Route 9, part of the “Million Dollar half mile” of outlet stores, and shares a building with a Subway restaurant. The site was formerly occupied by Mr. Bill’s Carhop.
Porreca said he hopes to capture the business of some of the outlet shoppers and Northway drivers, less seasonal groups than the lakefront crowd.
Porreca held a soft opening in late July. Once things are running smoothly, he said he will host a grand opening.
The Lake George location, at 25 Canada St., will remain open until Nov. 1. Then, it will close for the winter and reopen on April 1, 2017.
He said there is not enough business in Lake George to warrant continuing to stay open through the winter.
“It’s just such a struggle up here in the wintertime,” he said.
The new location will seat 44 people at regular tables, eight more at high-top tables, 14 at the bar, and another 26 outdoors under a tent-like structure. The atmosphere is rustic, with a lot of weathered wood.
Initially, the restaurant will be open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
In November, Porreca will try adding weekend breakfast service.
The full bar will feature craft beers on tap. The menu will include ribs, pulled pork, steaks, wraps, pasta dishes, and, thanks to a machine left behind by Mr. Bill’s, store-made ice cream.
Porreca said he expects to have a staff of seven or eight at the new location. Two cooks will join him in the kitchen and there will be a bartender and three or four servers out front.
You can reach Smokey Joe’s at 668-2660.