When Gina Coon started dating her husband, Brandon, nine years ago, he already owned a historic building in downtown Horseheads that housed the popular Rosar’s Bar and Grill.
With Rosar’s now gone, the Coons are reinventing the 175-year-old building at 114 John St., bringing in a new restaurant on the first floor and gutting and remodeling the upper two floors, with plans to convert the space into short-term Airbnb lodging.
That transformation is a work in progress, but Gina Coon has a clear vision for the project, now known as the Rose Carriage Inn.
“I want to bring a beautiful place to the (Hanover) Square that adds value to the square,” she said. “I want a small hotel that’s a great experience for people, with a great restaurant downstairs, where people can stay here, eat here, and hopefully see another new business on the left-hand side eventually — just something beautiful and different for the square.”
History of the Rose Carriage Inn
The building at 114 John St. dates back to the mid-1800s, Coon said.
Rosar’s occupied the building for more than half its existence, according to Rachel Dworkin, archivist for the Chemung County Historical Society.
“It was Rosar’s Bar & Grill as far back as 1922,” Dworkin said. “The restaurant itself is more than 100 years old. It was founded by Mrs. Minnie Rosar and Arthur Deyo. They lived in the apartment above.”
Before becoming Rosar’s, the building served as a blacksmith shop and later housed the Rose Carriage Manufacturing Co., from which the new name is derived, Coon said.
“This property has carried many identities throughout its long history,” Coon said. She initially hoped to preserve some of the building’s historic charm, but found little remained.
“It was a factory,” she said. “It had zero character.”
What owners hope to accomplish with Rose Carriage Inn
Some changes are already evident from the outside.
In early February, Kristen “Keke” Austin opened Keke’s Eats-N-Sweets in the space formerly occupied by Rosar’s. In just a few weeks, the restaurant has built a regular clientele, according to Wendee Manderscheid, one of Austin’s chief assistants.
“It’s been phenomenal,” Manderscheid said. “It exploded. We’re busy all day long.”
The vacant storefront next to Keke’s, once home to Mike’s Guns and Ammo, could eventually house another business or become part of the restaurant, Coon said.
“If the restaurant does phenomenal, we can tear the wall down and make the gun shop part of the restaurant,” she said.
The Coons also own an empty building next door that has been used for storage.
“We might tear it down to make outdoor space for whatever business we put in the gun shop,” said Coon, who also owns Gaia’s Greens, a nursery and gardening store on Veteran Hill Road in Horseheads.
Brandon Coon, a correction officer, has done much of the renovation work himself, with help from family members.
“We rebuilt the walls inside. We started in 2023,” he said. “My uncle has been a huge help. My dad has helped me out.”
Once second-floor renovations are complete, the building will offer three units for short- or long-term stays, Gina Coon said. The third floor will also be remodeled for lodging.
“It will be converted to an Airbnb. It’s only four spaces, but we’ll make them super beautiful,” she said. “I want it to feel more like a boutique hotel.”
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Horseheads couple breathes new life into historic downtown building
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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