GENEVA — The wait can be lengthy for folks hoping to grab a table at the Rusty Pig on Linden Street — which, in just three years, has become one of Geneva’s most popular restaurants.
Chef/owner Kevin Dombrowski thought it would be nice to have a small place where restaurant patrons could have a drink while waiting for a seat to order the restaurant’s specialty, barbecue, or other popular offerings. So, he decided to rent out the space formerly occupied by Finger Lakes Sausage and Beer, just a few doors down the one-way street.
Then, opportunity struck.
The space on the corner of Linden and Castle streets was vacated. Dombrowski entered into an agreement with building owners Dave Linger and Wendy Marsh to rent that spot as well, knocking down the walls to create a far larger space.
Hog Wallow Tavern was born — and it’s close to opening its doors.
The new tavern has an invitation-only soft opening Oct. 29-30. Dombrowski said he expects to open to the public the following week.
It’s Dombrowski’s first endeavor into the tavern business. He plans to order top-shelf bourbon, Scotch and high-end cocktails, along with mostly local and regional beers. Cocktails will be priced in the $12 to $15 range, he noted, explaining that they’ll be using premium alcohol.
“It will be totally premier, but unpretentious,” Dombrowski said as his staff underwent computer training in anticipation for the soft opening next weekend.
The interior is close to complete, with a decor featuring recycled materials from an old carriage house and ticket booth that sat on his mother’s property in the town of Seneca hamlet of Stanley for years. The materials are used for the paneling you’ll see at the Hog Wallow. Slate roof tiles from the old carriage house serve as the bar top, covered by an epoxy finish.
The impressive Hog Wallow signs, created by Geneva-based Community Proud of Exchange Street, adorn the windows of the tavern. The final design was the result of an online logo contest.
Dombrowski hired Adriane Holden of Palmyra, who has worked in the restaurant and bar business for many years, to manage Hog Wallow Tavern.
“She’s incredible,” Dombrowski said. “She came up with the cocktail menu and helped guide how the bar should be laid out. She’s gonna be a rock star.”
Dombrowski acknowledged that some think he’s competing with a nearby place offering high-end cocktails, the Linden Social Club. He said there’s room for both.
“Us being right next door to each other is going to drive people for both of us,” he said, adding that Geneva has “blown up” as a place where people are coming for food and beverage.
“There’s so much going on,” Dombrowski said.
His landlord, Linger, the president of the Geneva Business Improvement District board and possibly Linden Street’s biggest booster, thinks Dombrowski brings another element to the city.
“We are excited for the Hog Wallow to open,” Linger said. “It will be a little different than the other offerings in Geneva. When Kevin‘s restaurant opens, Linden Street will have something for almost everyone and every budget.”
BID Director Michael Mills likes what Drombrowski is bringing to downtown Geneva.
“Geneva has done a good job of weathering the Covid-19-induced economic downturn, and it is in large part because of excellent merchants like Kevin Dombrowski and the team at Rusty Pig, and now Hog Wallow,” Mills said. “Geneva downtown will be getting another exciting food and drink option that we are confident will be creative, energetic and fun.”
Dombrowski relishes answering the doubters — from his foray into restaurant ownership to his latest endeavor.
“I didn’t come from anything,” he said. “I have all the drive in the world to prove that I can do it. I’ve cooked every day since I’ve been open and have been cooking since I was 14 years old.”
Dombrowski uses the Rusty Pig as an example of exceeding expectations. The restaurant is generating nearly $1 million in sales from an 875-square-foot space.
“It has been wildly popular,” Dombrowski observed.
Hog Wallow will have a kitchen as well, but it’s not a full-scale restaurant like the Rusty Pig, he noted. The menu will feature 11 items, including a number of flatbread creations, along with his Ultimate Mac and Cheese, a meat lover’s version of a comfort food classic that can be found on the Rusty Pig menu.
The tavern will have some traditional barroom comforts, such as darts and arcade games, as well as occasional live music, Dombrowski said.
Hog Wallow will be open 5 p.m. to midnight Tuesday to Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays.
Dombrowski is confident the spot will be packed from its first day.
“I just love the location,” he said.
