The new Oneonta restaurant offers unique flavors.business news

NAGS Bar & Kitchen captures the flavors of downtown Oneonta.

The restaurant at 221 Main Street opens in mid-October and serves lunch and dinner.

General manager Christopher Coyle said owner Ravi Nagesvaran purchased the building from the city in early 2022.

“He was looking for real estate … and whether it was a smaller version, a food cart or catering, he would love to do this elsewhere,” he said. “I have worked in the food industry for 28 years. Purchased and met Ravi and his people in May.”

“I fell in love with the town the minute I drove into Oneonta,” said Nagesvaran. I thought, “Oh my god, this gem.” It was a city with historic buildings and the charm of a university town. When I walked into the building, I said, ‘OK, it needs an exterior update and some stuff in the kitchen, but it has good bones and this is what I want to create. It is a gathering of family and friends.”

Coyle and Nagesvaran say that keeping their focus local has defined their business acumen.

“We found a local general contractor to build all the tables and shelving and the back of the bar. Otego locals did the electrical and plumbing that came out of Davenport, so it was pretty big. That’s what I did,” Coyle says. He said. “(Nagesvaran) is from a bigger place, but we are here to serve the city of Oneonta. Now we are doing our best to give people job opportunities. Coyle said NAGS employs about 20 people and is looking for “qualified cooks and bartenders.”

“We tried to keep it local. Yes, we brought in some talent, but at the end of the day, we used local deals and hired locally,” Nagesvaran said. Told. “We made a conscious effort.”

Coyle, from Morris, called the NAGS fare “unique but identifiable”.

“The twist is that there’s something from all over the world,” he said, noting that NAGS features daily lunch and dinner specials. “We have Korean fried chicken, but we combine it with yellow rice to make fajita pita. And our sauces are very unique.Each meal has a variety of sauce options.We also have meatloaf gyros, chicharrenas and tater bombs, but the most popular entree is the Mongolian barbecue bowl.Udon , bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and spiced chicken soup.Then customers can choose the sauce and protein they put on top.”

“It’s fine pub food, but it’s also a little different,” echoed Nagesvaran. “We have elote, so we have southwestern and Texas nachos, Mexican and Mongolian and poutine, but not the typical Canadian poutine. Chicarina is not the typical Dominican Chicarina. They’re Louisiana.” It’s much closer to chicken in style.

Coyle said the eclectic menu creates an equally diverse clientele.

“Our customer base is ultimately people between the ages of 20 and 75, but anyone can come here: families, students, tourists, businesses,” he said. “We try to push our lunch hours and specials so you can look for happy hours once you have alcohol (after you are licensed).

“There are people saying, ‘I’ve been waiting for this,'” Coyle continued, saying it was “absolutely” family friendly. “The atmosphere is the biggest thing. Once inside, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever set foot in Oneonta before. It’s not wasted and most are blown away because I’m excited about the fact that there are.”

The space can also be used for business and volunteer group meetings, and online orders for business gatherings can be delivered or picked up up to four days in advance, Nagesvaran said.

Coyle and Nagesvaran said they hope to add catering, live bands, karaoke nights and weekend brunches as NAGS takes hold.

NAGS Bar & Kitchen is open Sunday, Monday and Thursday from 11am to 9pm. Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11am. and Tuesday is a day off.

For more information, see: nagsbar.comfind NAGS Bar & Kitchen on Facebook or follow @nagsbar on Instagram.