By Jennifer Farnsworth
The owner of Joe’s Tavern in Cohoes plans to open a new restaurant soon in Halfmoon.
Emma Jayne’s, located at 1475 Route 9, will be the new venture of Mike Fortin.
He said his business has outgrown the 86 year-old Joe’s Tavern location, leading to a decision to take much of what his patrons have loved at Joe’s and moving it into a new restaurant concept, Emma Jayne’s, named for his daughter.
“Our building permits have been submitted to the town of Halfmoon. We will be closing down Joe’s, but plan to carry on a similar feel at the new Halfmoon location,” said Fortin.
He said Halfmoon seems like a perfect spot to allow him to bring over his loyal clientele and attract new customers. His current staff will be coming to the new location where they will continue to serve American contemporary cuisine such as steaks and seafood, in addition to some of Italian dishes.
“One big change is that we will now have the option to be open for lunch. We will have the space to do it, including a large 90-car space for parking,” said Fortin.
The 4,010-square-feet space needs mostly cosmetic changes. Fortin hired The Krug Corp. of Cohoes to do the work, including taking down walls, improving the existing kitchen and building a bar. They will also be adding a covered deck that will increase their capacity from 150 to 230 people.
“We really don’t need to do a ton of work in the space. Once the heavy work is done, then it’s just a matter of having tables and chairs set up,” said Fortin.
Fortin, who also owns Max410 at the Van Schaick Island Country Club in Cohoes, said the amount of traffic the Route 9 location has played a big factor in the decision to make the move.
“It has been really difficult at times to run a restaurant in what is essentially a two-family home. Joe’s is tucked away. But this new spot has a lot of exposure. The size of Joe’s results in us having to turn away a lot of people. We won’t have to do this in Halfmoon,” said Fortin.
Emma Jayne’s is scheduled to open up by the second week of January.
Fortin anticipates hiring an additional 30 employees. You can follow their progress on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Emma-Jaynes-Restaurant. Additional information can also be found at emmajaynesrestaurant.com, including an online job application.