Canandaigua's Oldest Continuously Operating Restaurant
With the closing of the old Colonial Inn formerly located where Lakeshore Dr. meets S Main St, Patty's Place became the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the city. When the Dwyer Block was built in 1892, 33 S Main Street was opened as the "Railroad Lunch." In 1906, Mr. Andrews bought the business and re-named it the "Star Lunchroom." Mr. Andrews lived nearby at 25 Atwater Place and called it a "temperance lunchroom" because no wine or liquor was served. He always ran one advertisement that simply stated "Open Day & Night." The next owner, Mr. Ned Gibson of Gorham St. operated the "Star" through the Depression until 1942. Mr. Gibson was an affable and dapper gentleman who maintained a sitting room with leather furniture between the dining room and kitchen. At the beginning of WWII, the "Star" was purchased by Bill "Red" Hanoven of Park Place. Business was big as a result of the wartime traffic on the Pennsylvania Railroad Branch from Canandaigua to Washington DC. Mr. Hanoven even opened a lunch counter in the main lobby of the Canandaigua Depot. After the War, he sold the "Star" to Jordan and Socrates Marty, who modernized the front of the building and put up the first neon sign. They also changed the name to "Marty's Restaurant." Jordan Marty soon left to open "The Lobster House" seafood restaurant on S Main Street near Red Jacket Park (current site of Nolan's). In 1978, Martin Burns purchased the restaurant, and quite naturally, retained the name "Marty's." His claim to fame was the "99 cent Breakfast." Patty Thompson, who was a waitress for years with Burns, took over the restaurant in 1987 and stayed until she married in 1989. Bob McMath, from Naples, NY, was the next owner and stayed until 1991. Bob restored the name "The Star" to the restaurant after an absence of 45 years. Sandy Pierce and Chuck Clark purchased it from McMath, completely remodeled it, and re-opened under the name "The Flying Star" in memory of Sandy's husband, Sgt. Leon Pierce who used that name as his radio "handle." Patricia Hotchkiss purchased the restaurant in September of 1994 and opened it as "Patty's Place." And finally, Jennifer Shedrick purchased Patty's Place from Patty Hotchkiss in February of 2017. Jen was previously employed by Patty Hotchkiss for 20 years as a waitress.
Serving Canandaigua for 130 YearsHistoric Main Street Canandaigua
Photos shared from the collection of the Ontario County Historical Museum 55 N Main St. Canandaigua, NY |
IT'S A HOMETOWN TRADITION
"Always wonderful service with great homestyle food! Also one of my parents favorite places to go & they have both passed away so to keep the tradition going now it's one of my son Jayvon & my favorite place to go!" "Great little diner! Tried it out for the 1st time today after seeing great reviews online. Met all our expectations and more! They seem to have very loyal customers. Super impressed to see fresh small cut veggies in my omelet and not giant frozen pieces. Waitress brought us their house made jam and we even bought some to take home! Definitely will be returning!" "Perfect place for a family breakfast. French toast is a must have! Great food, excellent service, many regular customers says a lot about consistent quality. A must do on our breakfast restaurant list." "We’ve tried every breakfast joint in Canandaigua (and Bloomfield) Patty’s is by far our favorite! You can just tell, the home fries are made to order EVERY TIME, and they’re the best in town! You have to get the homemade bread. So thick and soft. And my eggs are made just the way I like them. Every-time. I’ve never left hungry. Plus we come in with two little girls and they are always friendly and accommodating. Not only will we be back - we won’t go anywhere else! Casual · Comfort food · Large portions · Great food · Cheap eats · Daily specials · Child-friendly" (Quotes taken from our Facebook page) |
