By Chad Neal
Well, we’ve been waiting to see what the changes and differences would be at The Depot which is now called Wayne’s Depot. I went in and noticed the subtle changes, but what you notice more is how they kept it familiar as the iconic Ellicottville restaurant. The Villager got in touch John and Harry, the Crook brothers, and Vinnie Garafalo the General Manager, and asked some questions about their new wings, pizza and bar.
The Villager (V): How did you come to lease the depot?
Wayne’s Depot (WD): We attended the final night of the Depot when Vicki and Moose still owned it and realized that it was a place that made sense for us and were excited about being able to become a part of the community here in Ellicottville.
V: Holiday Valley owns the building, correct?
WD: Holiday Valley does own the building and property.
V: What is your goal for the restaurant?
WD: Just to keep the integrity of this iconic venue and make sure our guests enjoy great wings, a good pizza, cold beers and lots of laughs when they’re here.
V: What new can people expect to see when they are in the dining room or order from the kitchen?
WD: In terms of decor, we wanted people to feel like they were still at The Depot, so we kept a lot of relics and fun stuff on the walls. This place tells a story each time you look around and we love that. The kitchen was pretty much a complete overhaul. New pizza ovens, new coolers and new sinks, freezers and fryers. We figure with as much food as this place will be pumping out, we wanted to start fresh and make sure every piece of equipment was up for the task.
V: What other new things did you bring to Wayne’s Depot?
WD: We added a few new things here and there like a new dartboard, Golden Tee, a Photo Booth and a jukebox.
V: How did you come upon with the name?
WD: The name Wayne’s Depot is pretty straight forward. We wanted to pay tribute and keep The Depot name for obvious reasons and our good buddy and spiritual leader Wayne was integral in this process, so it made sense to attach his name as well.
V: Is there a Wayne?
WD: Wayne is indeed real and comes and goes like a breeze.
V: Your original place is the Bar Bill correct?
WD: Yes, our original venture has been Bar Bill. Our flagship location in East Aurora as well as additional brick and mortar spots in Clarence and Rochester.
V: How much of Bar Bill did you bring to Wayne’s Depot in Ellicottville?
WD: We’re bringing our famous wings along for the ride as well as restoring the past glory to the old depot with a full pizza menu; our first time in the pizza business. Wayne is a big part of the pizza end and has helped curate a fun and creative menu with specials to come out slowly leading up to the upcoming ski season. We’re also bringing our General Manager Vinnie Garafalo with us. Vinnie is a veteran of the bar business and an Ellicottville native, so it made a lot of sense to bring him for the ride. He is very excited to be back home helping us.
V: Are you planning any special parties or events?
WD: In terms of special surprises and events, you’re just going to have to stay tuned. We have something real fun planned for Fall Fest that we will be sharing in the coming weeks. Christmas time will be really fun here as well.
V: Anything else you’d like to share about Wayne’s?
WD: Lastly, we just wanted to reiterate how truly excited we are to be a part of this community and are incredibly humbled at the response we’ve had over the first few weeks open. We can’t wait to see all of the familiar faces and welcome new ones as well.
Head on over and check it out, if you knew The Depot, you’ll notice the subtle new additions of fun, such as the video games, picture booth and new TVs. It will definitely be a hit especially in the winter as it has been over the decades.