Popular waterfront restaurant and bar to re-open Friday

You pull up at beloved Charlotte restaurant Pelican's Nest and some motorcycles are in the parking lot. But then a van with seniors drives up. And inside they are calling for more highchairs to seat a party of 20 with kids.

Later that evening, folks in their 20s to 40s looking for fun will drive over for live music. Boats pull up with older adults in their 50s to 70s. Each group lays a strong but different claim to this destination spot.

This is the scene at Pelican's Nest north of Rochester every summer. The draw is the waterfront, the feeling, the food. The classic spot, starting its 29th season, opens April 19 for the summer. Atlas is the grand re-opening act playing Friday.

Rochesterians who are drawn toward Lake Ontario swear by the Pelican's Nest for a good meal and good time. So we sat down with owner Terry Testa to find out what you need to know.

When did Pelican's Nest get started?

"My original intention was to put the structure up, never having been in the business," Testa explained. "I never washed a dish, never served a drink, never flipped a burger. I was gonna just build it knowing that it was needed — there was nowhere to go nearby really. I was pretty confident that it would do well. But my original, I guess, thought or intent was to build it and lease it out.

"I started playing with the numbers as it got closer and closer. For what I was going to have to give up and what I was going to get in rent, kind of a wash. I said to myself, let me try it for one year, let's see what happens. 29 years later — wow. It's a lot of learning, a lot of growth. I honestly never envisioned it to be the good monster that it is. This place gets humming in the summertime. I mean, it's not unusual for us to have 1,500, 1,800 people through the door at any given Friday, Saturday or Sunday."

Where to eat on the waterfront in Rochester?

The waterfront restaurant business is a seasonal business. Pelican's Nest is no exception.

"I got a new staff pretty much every year," said the owner. "I remember the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. Welcome to my world. Every spring it's like — didn't we just do this?"

Some staffers do come back. A few are full-time. They have about 90 part-time staffers during the season. "It's like, I don't even know half their names until July!"

Fast facts: Pelican's Nest

• The crab cake sandwich, Chicken French, Pelican Pasta and the steamed clams are some popular dishes.
• Signature drinks include their take on rum punch and their full lineup of margaritas.
• The restaurant buys $100,000 in beer alone every summer.
• They can do $11,000 in food purchases on a normal day.
• Address: 566 River St. in Charlotte along the Genesee River.

— William Ramsey is an editor at the Democrat & Chronicle.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Popular waterfront restaurant and bar to re-open Friday