Sweet Betty's

It wasn’t very long after Sweet Betty’s closed before the void was palpable to the Le Roy community, Kristen Beardsley says.

“I have a lot of friends and family in Le Roy and we could tell they were really missing this place. And it's kind of like, there's really not a lot of places to eat in Le Roy, to sit down and eat,” Beardsley said to The Batavian during Wednesday’s reopening of Sweet Betty’s. “People just like to come here. The kids like to come here after school. It was nice for kids that were in sports. 

"I see it as a mom of two kids that when kids are in sports, there's not a lot of time, and on weekends, there's not a lot of time to be making dinners. So it just makes it accessible,” she said.

Beardsley, head chef and partner Steven Kelso and silent partner Gabe Dean approached former owner Gabrielle (Gabby) Keister, who closed the Main Street restaurant in October 2022, in January of this year, closing on the purchase in February 2023.

Much of the menu will remain the same — chicken sandwiches, tenders and souvlaki wraps, Italian sausage hoagies, cajun popcorn shrimp and burgers a la cheddar bacon, jalapeño bacon jam, mushroom swiss, and other varieties; assorted salads, sides and homemade desserts.

One change is that pizza was removed from the menu, since the new owners figured that’s a food item that can be purchased elsewhere in lieu of their menu, which features specialty fare.

New offerings include Kelso’s mac & cheese creations, from the reuben with corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese to the Betty Bomber with sliced steak, peppers and onion. Kelso also makes daily soups, such as Wednesday’s cream of broccoli and Italian wedding.

With more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant business, including several at O’Lacy’s, Kelso of Batavia adds the kitchen element to Beardsley’s front-of-the-shop serving experience as a waitress.

They have several employees, including at some point Beardsley’s children, Lily, 16, and 14-year-old Kaleb; and Jo Berl, whose smile is a natural behind the counter serving up hard and soft ice cream cones and meals in the bright dining area.

“It was a very popular place before that and Gabby and Scott set a high standard, so it's just being prepared to continue what they started,” Beardsley, of East Bethany, said. “So, we're all prepared.”

Sweet Betty’s is at 15 Main St., Le Roy. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.

For more information, call 585-502-6084. or go HERE.

Many businesses have found it hard recently to staff their operations, and now one restaurant's inability to find a cook has forced it to close its doors.

Sweet Betty's owner Gabrielle (Gabby) Keister said her restaurant is closing because of kitchen staffing issues.

"We’ve been looking for a cook for over a year, part-time or full-time," Keister said. "We are done trying to beg people to work."

Restaurants across the nation have been struggling with staffing since the shutdown at the start of the pandemic. The National Restaurant Association estimates nearly a million workers have left the industry.

The Department of Labor has not yet released September's unemployment rate, but in August it was 3.0 percent in Genesee County with only 900 people considered unemployed.  

Genesee County's unemployment rate has remained below 4.0 percent since September 2021.

Sweet Betty's opened in 2020 at 15 Main St., Le Roy, during the pandemic.

In a social media post, Keister said, "Who would have thought we’d make it through, and so successfully? It was because of your (customers) continuous patronage that this was possible."

For those who have gift certificates, she said, customers can stop by on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. with gift cards for a refund or to buy hard ice cream -- 25 flavors to choose from.

She said Sweet Betty's will participate in the Winterfest on Dec. 3.

"We will have Santa and Mrs. Claus and the second annual “Maddie Master’s Pay it Forward” one-mile walk, as well as luminaries and a walk to the tree-lighting.

"Thank you for making the past two years a lot of fun," she told customers. "We will always remember all who supported us during our venture!"

Previously: From burgers to cheesecake, new Le Roy restaurant is a sweet addition

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens of Gabby Keister, her husband Scott Keister, and their son Scott (on left).