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Partners restoring former downtown watering hole, opening new bar and burger joint

By Howard B. Owens

A little bit of old Batavia is going to come back to a new bar on Jackson Street, according to co-owner Derek Geib.

Geib and partner Michael Hyland are busy renovating 9 Jackson St.

Longtime residents will remember the building as the one-time Silver Slipper, and later the Candlelight, before becoming Fuel.  The location was most recently the Jackson St. Grill/Belladessa's.

As a restaurant, Silver Slipper's once gorgeous mahogany bar was boarded over and the back bar painted white.

Geib and Hyland have removed all of that clutter and the dark-brown wood of the bar and walls, as well as a large mirror behind the bar, are visible again. The partners have also partially exposed the brick wall of the original structure.

The duo will dub their new establishment "Bourbon & Burger Co."

And the name reflects what Geib, most recently co-owner of Matty's Pizzeria, hopes people will think of when they think of the tavern -- a place to drink and a place to eat.

"It will be a bar and I don't want people to think just 'food,' Geib said. "I want them to get the idea that it's both."

As for the food, though, Geib is aiming high.

"We'll have the best burgers in town," Geib said. "If you ask 10 people where their favorite place to go for a burger, you'll get eight different answers. We want to be the number-one answer."

If the liquor license process goes according to plan, Geib thinks the doors on Bourbon & Burger Co. will open by May 1. The new tavern's application is going before the Batavia City Council for consideration at Monday's meeting.

Mike Weaver

I do hope they offer something different than most of the other places. So many of Batavia's restaurants and menus are variations on the same 2 or 3 themes.

And how about another bar that offers a decent selection of microbrews? O'Lacy's is the only real game in town there. I'd like to see another place offer a different selection on tap than the usual 6 beers.

Oh, and with a name like Bourbon and Burgers you are going to have a good, diverse selection of bourbons, right? Right? Please?

Mar 11, 2011, 7:49pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

Bourbon & Burgers- nothing wrong with that. I'm looking forward, though, to Rum & Red Peas Rice, Armagnac & l'Ardennaise, Sake & Shu-mei, Grüner Hund & Gemüsepfanne, Scotch & Smoked Mackerel, водка & Винегрет among other less readily available offerings. Smacznego!

Mar 13, 2011, 7:49pm Permalink
George Richardson

I got a Trademark on "Beer and Boogers" once but it didn't work out. I thought Americans were edgier than they actually are. There are six different companies in Germany who wants a franchise though. I might sell a few, what the hell, I like money even if it is worthless.

Mar 13, 2011, 9:29pm Permalink

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