By Jill Nagy
Folks in and around Whitehall nostalgic for Roma’s pizza and lasagna will soon be able to enjoy them again in the restaurant’s newest incarnation, the RailYard Taproom & Family Restaurant.
A consortium of five local couples now own the property on Route 4 in the Village of Whitehall and are aiming for a May reopening.
When the group first bought the property, specifics of the re-birth and its name had not been determined.
The new owners have completely gutted the building and are now “starting to put everything back together,” according to Cheryl Putorti, one of the owners. The men of the investment group did most of the demolition work, she said, but the new construction is largely in the hands of Hudson Falls general contractor Josh Willis.
Walls have been moved. The kitchen is in a new location and the dining booths will be replaced by roomier ones. A new bar will offer local craft beers.
The menu is still a work in progress, awaiting the hiring of a chef, but the new owners are working with Marilyn Grady, whose family owned Roma’s for many years, to learn the secrets of Roma’s pizza and other local favorites, Putorti said.
After many years of talking and dreaming of reopening the Roma, the group learned that the building was coming up for auction by the Washington County Local Development Corp.(WCLDC)
The 10 investors pooled their resources and bought the Route 4 property for $71,000.
They secured a $150,000 loan from the WCLDC and set to work.
The new owners are Francis and Cheryl Putorti, Erik and Laurie Ross, Michael and Kathy Putorti, Dan and Debbie O’Rourke, and Tom and Patti Abbott. All are new to the food and hospitality business except for the Putortis, who own Putorti’s Market in Whitehall.
Putorti said by February, the insulation, wiring , and lighting were largely complete and work was underway on the new kitchen. The taproom and back bar are close to completion.
The owners are working with a food distributor and looking for a head chef and 20-25 full and part time employees. Putorti said there is interest in the chef’s post, but no decision yet.
The RailYard will be open year-round for lunch, dinner and evening drinks and light fare.