GORHAM, NY— At some point soon, Steve and Lin Rohrback will be ready to sit down and begin the nuts-and-bolts negotiations with their successor over their Eastside Grill and Pub in Crystal Beach.
After this lake season, the Rohrbacks are planning to sell because they want to retire at the end of the year, and they have already fielded inquiries about their business. But he’s not quite ready to talk about figures just yet. Anything else, OK.
“I’ll tell them anything about the place they want to know,” Rohrback said.
And he and his wife, who bought the space that housed the former Smokeman BBQ and ever-popular blast-from-the-past Captain Yogis, have a tale to tell.
Actually, more than a few.
Stories to tell about the Eastside Grill and Pub
The Rohrbacks can share what it’s like to see their restaurant with 20-foot flames shooting from it and the firefighters from Crystal Beach, Middlesex, Rushville and Canandaigua doing their best to save it, as they did that early morning in March 2021.
Or the one about how Lin teared up relating the difficulties of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic while opening a new restaurant only to be hit with that fire. Comfort came in seeing familiar faces, she said at the time.
Or the one about how just hours after the fire, they and their employees sorted through the wreckage, crying at times but laughing too, as they came up with fire-themed names for drinks to concoct to celebrat their reopening, which came much later than they first thought.
Or the one about the customers the Rohbacks enjoyed feeding who stopped by after the fire to offer them meals.
Or the one about how customers, so eager to return to their Crystal Beach hangout after the pandemic and fire, were thrilled on reopening day — for themselves but more for the Rohrbacks. “It’s been a long road for them,” one said when it finally reopened.
Those are only a few that give a flair of how much their version of the Eastside will be missed and how much pluck and determination the Rohrbacks demonstrated in willing their business to succeed against steep obstacles.
More stories will be shared and more will be made as the months progress. Many more will no doubt emerge after one final night, a New Year’s Eve bash to say so long to 2025 and their tenure as restaurant owners and to ring in the new year and a new chapter in life.
“We could write a book,” Lin Rohrback said.
Perhaps this one ends happily because they are happy with how they are leaving things here.
Rebuilding the Eastside Grill and Pub after pandemic and fire
They opened Eastside Grill and Pub in 2019 and made a name in Crystal Beach and elsewhere before the pandemic hit, although they managed to get by thanks to takeout and loyal customers. Even though the fire was terrible, and they were out of business for a year and a half, “a real good” insurance settlement meant they were able to expand and modernize, Steve said.
And they did a lot of the heavy lifting themselves, allowing them to stretch resources even more.
“When we bought it, we couldn’t get the place cold in the summer and warm in the winter. Now, it’s perfect,” Steve said. “Whoever does take this place over is getting a fairly new building. Everything you see was torn down or burned down. It’s brand new.”
Eventually, Steve picked up cooking and grew to love it, coming in early to do gumbos, ribs, chowder and seafood bisque. He said he can’t tell you how many people have said their place has the best meatloaf they’ve ever had in their life. People still rave about their drunken mushrooms.
“As his head gets bigger,” Linda joked.
The Eastside Grill and Pub attracts nice people
They opened with a five-year plan to build a successful business. Obviously, a few years years were added onto the plan. Now, they wish they had started 10 years sooner because they have so much enjoyed doing it.
“We just made the decision, because of our age and what we want to do — we have grandkids now — we need to get out of it,” Steve said. “We enjoyed doing it, but it’s really long hours.”
That said, they will miss the Eastside and the people who helped make it what it is.
Lin praised their staff, some of whom have stuck with the Rohrbacks throughout — pandemic, fire, too-short but crazy business lake seasons, those long, cold winters and more. The same goes for the customers.
“We’ve met a lot of very nice people,” Lin said. “Some of them became very good friends. We’ve had a very good time while we were here. We enjoyed it.”
An endless summer at Eastside Grill and Pub
There’s still a summer of fun ahead at the Eastside, and many regulars are no doubt hoping for an endless summer.
Like the old TV show about the bar where everyone knows your name, “Cheers,” sometimes, when a regular customer would come into the Eastside, everyone yelled, “Norm,” like they did on the show. Another time, they all got together ahead of time and made sure everyone yelled, “Ron,” to welcome an Eastside regular back.
“A lot of people have said they feel comfortable coming in here,” Lin said. “We’re kind of like the Crystal Beach ‘Cheers.’”
Whoever takes over, the new owner will have at least two “new” customers, as the Rohrbacks only live minutes away. Yes, they’ll be there, Steve promised.
“We‘re telling all our customers,” Lin said, “we’ll see you on the other side of the bar.”
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Popular bar and grill to be sold after this season
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
