A change in ownership is on the horizon for a well-known summertime eatery along the Erie Canal.
Brandon Marvin, owner of Marvins at Widewaters, said he’s looking to sell the business.
“Our hope is to find the next person that’s going to try to carry that torch,” Marvin said.
Ultimately, Marvin said, he wants to sell the eatery so that he can focus on raising his children and maintaining other business ventures.
“I’m raising a soon to be a 16-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter,” Marvin said. “They’re my focus and I have several other businesses that I still own and operate.”
Marvin hopes that whoever purchases the eatery is committed to its legacy, but he also understands they may put their own spin on things just as he did when he acquired it.
“Whatever they want to incorporate into their next model, we want to help them succeed in anyway possible,” he said.
James and Mary Chapman, along with Mary’s sisters Helen Villella and Rose Marvin, built Widewaters Snack Bar in 1961. The business was sold to John Saraf Jr. in 1972 and stayed with his family for more than 30 years.
The business changed hands again in 2006 when it was taken over by Marty Oliveri and Lou Antonotchi, who ran it until a flood shuttered the business’ doors in 2013.
In 2015, former employees Tim Mulvey and James Kane purchased and renovated the restaurant, and then sold it to Marvin in 2020.
“Some of my first jobs were working in kitchens, so I knew what I was getting into,” Marvin noted.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck just as Marvins was about to open.
“We bought it and thought it would be a great idea to launch a restaurant at the worst time in history to open a restaurant,” Marvin said.
It was during that time that the business introduced its weekly car shows with live music, something that has remained a staple to this day.
“We got through it and honestly it was an interesting year to launch. Everyone was looking for something to do… we were a little bit of normal when everything wasn’t normal,” Marvin said.
Kim Pasnik of Middleport said she has been a regular customer since Marvin took over and two of her children have worked there.
“I’m sad that he’s selling it. It’s always been good food. It’s a little piece of nostalgia,” Pasnik said.
The restaurant will remain open as normal through the duration of the summer season, which Marvin estimated will last until mid to late September.