YOUNGSVILLE, NY — The dining room at the Clair Inn & Café was packed on December 12, as an invitation-only crowd sampled offerings from the lunch menu of the freshly renovated landmark.

Owner and general manager Randy Klocko and kitchen manager Keith Cousineau have been breathing new life into the place since closing on the property about six months ago.

Before the last owner shut down the bar at the Clair, it was a neighborhood hangout with visits sometimes from local law enforcement officials. The investors live close to the Clair and Klocko said, “We always heard good stories of its past, and the building was always intriguing… It wasn’t until we heard through the grapevine, which is very active up here, that [the owner] was going to get rid of it, that I decided to call my realtor.”

The previous owner had done a lot of upgrades, such as buying all new windows, updating the electric service and much of the plumbing. But much remained to be done, including installing more of the windows, completing the plumbing and the installation of a large deck on the side and rear of the building where meals will be served during warmer months.

Said Klocko, “The new deck is my favorite, and that’s what I think changes it most.” They also expanded the kitchen and made it more “functional” as a working space.

For now, the owners plan to open the café at 7 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. Asked to describe the menu, Klocko said, “eclectic but familiar.” As an example he offered a couple of the waffles that are on the breakfast menu. He said, “One of our waffles is a corn bread jalapeno waffle, with a sriracha maple syrup. It’s hearty and sweet and savory at the same time. There is also a sweet potato waffle with pecans, topped with a maple cream cheese. It’s really tasty.”

This reporter was invited to the dinner and chose to forego the burger served with double-thick bacon in favor of a Portobello mushroom treated like a burger, and served with an avocado-chimichurri sauce. To this untrained palate, the meal was very good.

Klocko said the operation is not a farm-to-table because that tends to drive up the prices of the dishes too much. Still, he said quality ingredients are important. He said, for instance, the waffles are made with all organic New York flour, which might raise the price a little, but not a lot.

As for the inn part of the operation, Klocko said his plans call for the rooms to be ready by the end of April 2016. He said there will be four rooms, each with a private bathroom, and the rooms generally are much larger than the rooms that previously existed. In one case, four rooms have been merged into one, and in another three rooms have been merged into one.

As for operating a business in the winter in the Catskills, Klocko said, “If we get snow, the Clair is solidly on the snowmobile trail, and has long been a stopping point, and we may by then be open for dinner.” The investors appear to be in it for the long haul.