Bar-Bill Tavern Owners to Reopen The Depot in Ellicottville
Bar-Bill Tavern Owners to Reopen The Depot in Ellicottville
Beloved local spot The Depot will reopen this winter under the Bar-Bill team, keeping its classic name, décor, and community spirit alive.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bar-Bill Tavern
With the closure of the Ellicottville Depot back in March, many wondered what would become of the beloved space known for decades for its pizza and wings and a hearty joie de vivre aesthetic. Well, Ellicottville struck the jackpot with the recent announcement of the property’s purchase by Holiday Valley in late September, and the arrival of Bar-Bill Tavern owners, Clark and Katie Crook, along with brothers John and Harry who will oversee the operations of The Depot. Although not a Bar-Bill branded location, “The Depot,” as the restaurant will be referred to going forward, will fall under the Bar-Bill umbrella of restaurants. EllicottvilleNOW caught up with John Crook for comments.
“Our good friend Ward Dobbins is a member of the board at Holiday Valley,” Crook said. “When the property was purchased, they were looking for restaurant operators to lease the property. He thought of us and said we should come down and check out the space. We visited The Depot on the last day of operations, April 4th - we immediately fell in love with The Depot and knew we would love to continue its legacy.”
Crook said his team met with then-owner, Vicky Brown, and with Dennis Eshbaugh, President and General Manager of Holiday Valley, who he said are both wonderful. “The rest is history,” he added.
When asked about their plans for the space, John explained that they plan to keep it simple. “We want to keep The Depot exactly how it is, most importantly by keeping the name. The customers who frequented The Depot will notice barely any difference, if any at all,” he said. “The décor features all the pieces Moose and Vicky Brown collected over the years. We will be doing some kitchen and infrastructure updates, but the customer experience won’t be affected by those.” He added, “For a bar to exist for 46 years, it takes love and magic, and we know it’s better to get out of the way and let something great continue.” Crook said that the vibe and décor will remain the same, as it has been over the years.
As for the menu, we’ll just have to wait and see what surprises the new operators bring. “We are still working on the menu, so not a ton to report other than pizza and wings. We’ll be testing recipes over the next few months - it’ll have to be a surprise when we open.”
From a recent press release put out by Holiday Valley, The Depot historically served as a train station which had relocated from Mill Street 50 years ago. Since then, it has been under the ownership of Vicky and Chris “Moose” Brown since 1979. Vicky then sold the property to Holiday Valley, with whom the couple had had a decade’s long working relationship.
As for Bar-Bill, John explained the company’s long history in Western New York. “Bar-Bill Tavern was opened in 1967 in East Aurora,” he shared. “We specialize in wings and Beef on Weck. We purchased the company in 2011 from my mother’s uncle, Joe Giafaglione; since then, we have opened two more locations - one in Clarence in 2019 and one in Rochester in 2023. We also own a burger and cocktail concept called 189 Burger in East Aurora which opened in 2014.”
No doubt the locals and ski crowd alike are excited for this new chapter. Crook says that landlord Holiday Valley has been instrumental in the transition process. “They introduced us to the property as well as to Vicky and have ushered us through every step thus far. It’s been a wonderful partnership.”
As for an opening date, John says it will be around November or December, just in time for ski season. “It all comes down to how long it takes for liquor license approval. We’ll be opening as soon as we possibly can. We’re so excited to become part of the Ellicottville community. We have loved the process so far and we cannot wait to reopen The Depot’s doors and build new memories in the space.”
Stay tuned for the opening announcement of The Depot this winter. Until then, check out Bar-Bill Tavern online at www.barbill.com and follow them on social media. The Depot’s new website and social media will follow at a later date. Check back for details.