Massie’s, the venerable Italian restaurant in South Glens Falls, has quietly reopened after a three-month renovation added a new bar and updated the formal dining room.
“We closed on the first day of the quarantine, on March 15th,” owner Jon Greenwood, 35, told Glens Falls Living. “I figured, let’s just do it.”
Mr. Greenwood, an executive chef and Queensbury High School graduate, bought Massie’s in January 2016 from Pat Russo. The Russo family had run it since 1929, when Pat Russo’s father Ralph, known as Massie, opened it during the Great Depression.
“We redid the original bar in 2017,” Mr. Greenwood said. “That was the first major project. Then we did a full kitchen remodel, from floor to ceiling. We have new coolers, new hood fan systems, all of it energy efficient.”
Then his attention turned to the old-school formal dining room.
“I love repurposing spaces for efficiency,” he said. “Everything in the restaurant business is about being efficient, about minimizing steps.”
The new bar has a full drink station near the kitchen, making it easier for servers. The renovated dining space includes canvas photos of the classic murals that for decades adorned the walls.
Mr. Greenwood kept most of the work in the family. His uncle, Jim Greenwood of JPG Homes, and his brother, Jeff of Jeff Greenwood Construction, did much of the work. Jamie Smith of Tile Solutions did the floors, and Jon Greenwood’s cousin Darren Greenwood was a constant presence.
“Having my uncle is great,” Jon said. “He is so meticulous about planning.”
The old bar and dining area is now for private parties only. The upper dining room seats 60, while the bar area seats 40. Overall, the restaurant seats about 165.
“People come in and are lost!” Jon said. “They love it! I brought back the old phone booth, and the great painting of Massie, in a nod to tradition. Many people knew Massie, so we needed to feature that wonderful painting.”
He’s also seeking old Massie’s memorabilia to fill out his collection.
The menu still includes the classics: spaghetti and meatballs, ziti, the relish trays, the liver pate and the garlic bread.
“We dropped the full-course dining option because we were finding it was just too much food for people,” he said. “Everything is now a la carte.”
He said business has been very strong since reopening.
“We’re so steeped in local,” he said. “I would guess that 50 percent of our customers come in more than once a week. It’s unbelievable.
“The first year after I bought the restaurant was the hardest year of my life. I put so much into it, and was trying so hard to keep Massie’s the way it was. We are trying our best, but there are always going to be naysayers.
“I love delivering a good experience. Since we’ve reopened, business has been great. We’re so big we can socially distance people easily. And we’ve been doing a lot of takeout.”
Massie’s is open Tuesday through Sunday starting at 4 p.m. For more info, check out their website here.
Owner/Chef Jon Greenwood
