TRR photo by Tom Kane Michele’s Restaurant  dominates the center of Callicoon's Main Street. (Click for larger image)

Callicoon upbeat about restaurant closing

By TOM KANE

CALLICOON — Business owners and residents of the hamlet of Callicoon are optimistic that a restaurant recently closed will be purchased by someone soon.

“Main Street in Callicoon is hot right now,” said Jennifer Canfield, owner of Calbert Real Estate in Damascus. “The property is a prime location that should attract any number of enterprising people.”

The business and building is also listed with Canfield and Matthew J. Freda Real Estate. The price is $399,000.

The owners of Michele’s Restaurant closed the restaurant in early October and announced that they are retiring from the restaurant business and will not open next spring.

Michele and Barry Schuchman who have operated the restaurant for 21 years want to spend their remaining days golfing and horseback riding and visiting their children and grandchildren and spend time doing the things that they had originally come to the valley to enjoy.

“It’s a shame that they’re closing,” said Town of Delaware board member Eva Hess, who was volunteering in the Main Street Thrift Shop. “But I think the restaurant will be purchased by some younger people who will continue running it. Callicoon is still the restaurant capital of Sullivan County. People come here from all over.”

Hess’s sentiments were echoed by numerous others.

“I’m sure the restaurant will be picked up by someone,” said Sue Starke of Callicoon, a worker in Peck’s Market. “There’s a lot of hope these days about development in Sullivan County, especially in the river valley and in Callicoon.”

“It’s strategically located,” said Long Eddy resident Noel van Swol, who was shopping in Peck’s Market. “Some entrepreneur will pick it up since it has been so successfully run for so many years.”

Other Callicoon realtors felt similarly.

“It’s another business that’s changing hands,” said Klimchok Realtor and proprietor of 1906 Restaurant Rosie DeCristofaro. “It happens all the time. Things change but things also go on.”

She cautioned, however, that business in the area was still seasonal. “We’re not there yet. Maybe when Alan Gerry gets his music center opened the seasonal aspect will change.”

“There are people looking for a good venture all the time,” said Joe Freda. “This restaurant drew many patrons. Callicoon is a restaurant center.”

“If not a restaurant, my dream would be to see a kind of cyber café with coffee, books and link-ups for computers where people would sit around, work and talk,” Canfield said. “Main Street Callicoon could use something like that.”

The Schuchmans, who also own the building, will lease the business with an option to buy.

“We’ll help anyone who takes it over,” Michele said. “We’re more than happy to help. We can continue to bake and do other things. We’re not leaving the area.”