Glens Falls Business Journal photo
By Jill Nagy
Three weeks after Craft 9 closed the space at 7 South Street in Glens Falls was reborn as Southpaw Bistro. The new restaurant, under owner-chef Shaun Hazlitt, opened with a ribbon-cutting in September .
Hazlitt worked for the Murphy family, owners of Craft 9, for five or six years and, he said, he had an excellent relationship with them.
“They are wonderful people,” he added.
The space needed only minor renovations and updates, some cleaning and a little painting, he said.. Hazlitt liked the look and ambience of the place and did not want to change that. It has a rustic industrial feeling, nothing stuffy or pretentious, he explained.
He plans to serve “the best burger in town,” a mix of beef and pork from Grazin’ Acres Farm. He will, as much as possible, use locally sourced ingredients in order to “showcase how incredible our local producers are,” he said.
The menu will change every two or three weeks, “depending on what comes out of the ground,” he noted. He will include vegetarian options and a children’s menu, and will be able to accommodate vegans as well. Southpaw Bistro also has a full liquor license.
The restaurant can seat 120 people in the dining room, bar, and on a patio. There is an “absolutely amazing” full-time staff of 12.
Hazlitt is not a leftie. His wife is, but the restaurant is not named for her. The “South” part of the name reflects the bistro’s location on South Street; the “paw” part plays off the bear theme of Hazlitt’s other business, Big Bear catering and food trucks.
So far the restaurant is attracting a mixed clientele, “a little bit of everyone,” Hazlitt said. Friday night is the busiest time but, he noted, “I have no complaints about the rest of the week.”
At first, the bistro was only open for dinner but he started serving lunch at the end of the month.
Work by local artists is on display at Southpaw, one or two artists at a time for a month, some of which is for sale. Hazlitt also plans “Gallery Nights” when people can have a drink and meet the artist. In the future, he plans live music. The response to a Facebook post inviting musicians to apply, was “almost overwhelming. We are slowly working our way through,” Hazlitt said.
As one of the few restaurants open on Monday, Hazlitt plans to host “industry nights” when workers from other restaurants can meet and mix—and eat.
This is Hazlitt’s first time as a restaurant owner. However, he has been cooking in other restaurants for 13 years and operating other people’s restaurants. Although he never attended culinary school, he said he has worked with and learned from many of the great chefs in the area.
Hazlitt is also an enthusiastic outdoorsman, sportsman and co-owner, along with his brother, Jim, of Adirondack Elevations, a not-for-profit the provides therapeutic outdoor activities for veterans and first responders. He began nine years ago by organizing hunting expeditions for Purple Heart recipients. When he realized that not everyone was comfortable with firearms, he expanded the repertoire to hiking, skiing, biking, and similar outdoor activities. He included all veterans and first responders in his target audience. The not-for-profit company was formed two years ago.
Southpaw Bistro is open from 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information and to view the menu go to southpawbistro.com.