Courtesy of Ollie’s Bar and Grill`
By Jill Nagy
Ollie’s Bar and Grill, a new gathering place in Schuylerville, sits at the busy intersection of Routes 9 and 29.
Since opening in April, business has been “very good, no complaints,” said owner Justin Orozco.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Orozco added, and the location he chose — the former Giapetto’s Italian Restaurant at 120 Broad Street — seemed ideal. “I’m super happy and super excited to be here.”
People are finding their way to Ollie’s and Orozco reports that he already has a group of regular customers, along with tourists and people on their way to or from the track. He offers a casual atmosphere and thinks his customers are finding a bit of a “Cheers” vibe.
In addition to the bar, Ollie’s is a full restaurant, Orozco said: hamburgers, wings, and fries being popular menu items. He grew up helping out at his parents’ establishment, the Green Acres Tavern in Greenwich. Now his mother, Janice Bravo, is returning the favor as one of Ollie’s chefs; the other is Tom Rieler. Six or seven other employees round out the crew.
The bar and grill can seat 40-50 people at tables, Orozco estimates, and another 14 at the bar.
Ollie’s opens at 4 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday and Sundays at noon. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m., the bar a little later.
In September, when football season starts, Orozco will be open on Monday evenings for that game and close on Wednesdays. He plans bar specials with football themes.
The namesake? That is Orozco’s cat. He recalls sitting with friends, trying to find a name for the bar and grill. They tossed around several names with geographical or historical significance, but the best of them seemed to be already taken. Then someone asked, “Why not name it for your cat?” So he did.