Seneca Riverside: Inside the former Devaney's, under new ownership, in Weedsport

The view of the nearby Seneca River is even more prominent at The Seneca Riverside, which opened June 10 in the former Devaney's Riverside Grill. It's not only more prominent in the name, it's more prominent in reality, as new owner Dean Cummins made trimming the trees creeping into that view one of his first priorities at the restaurant, he told The Citizen.

"We're getting the outside nice and dressed up," he said.

According to Cayuga County property records, Cummins bought the restaurant from its namesake, Cynthia Devaney, for $225,000 in December. Its 2022 full market value is $203,718.

Cummins, a real estate broker who lives in Lysander, told himself he would never buy a restaurant again after owning and operating the Cross Lake Inn & Marina in Cato about a decade ago. He also had stakes in the Cato Hotel, the Colonial Inn and Pirate's Landing in northern Cayuga County. But the former Devaney's presented a favorable opportunity, he said.

The restaurant, which opened as Devaney's in the early 2000s and closed in early 2020, reopened under Cummins with counter service instead of a wait staff. He also installed a soft ice cream machine inside and a pickup window, and is adding a pizza parlor and fryers within the next week. Future plans include an outside kitchenette and bar, possibly a Tiki bar for events like clambakes.

"We get a hell of a crowd there on Thursdays," said Cummins, who also recently purchased the Sunset Restaurant in Auburn. "Hopefully we can get something going."