Chrissie Wais and John Levy are the new owners of the Belvedere Restaurant in Saranac Lake. (Provided photo)

SARANAC LAKE — The Belvedere Restaurant — which has been owned and operated by the Cavallo Family for nearly 90 years — has transitioned to new ownership.

Chrissie Wais and John Levy have taken the helm at the historic business. The ownership transition marks a new chapter for the Belvedere, which originally served as a boarding house before the restaurant opened in 1933.

To commemorate the occasion, the new owners, the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, the Adirondack North Country Association and the Center for Businesses in Transition are inviting the community to a ribbon cutting ceremony and “Business After Hours” event today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the restaurant.

“I know this community really well. I’ve lived here and worked in hospitality since 2002. Front of the house, back of the house, opening previous restaurants as both an owner and chef, and then starting a food and beverage consulting business,” said Levy.

Even though the current economic environment with high inflation was not in his original projections, Levy said “the timing was right to do something like this.” Levy has made updates to the restaurant’s offerings, added a new point of sale system and additional staff.

Previously unknown to each other, they came together thanks to a mutual friend and established a business model. Levy owns and operates the restaurant, and Wais owns and manages the property.

Wais said she has loved hospitality ever since her first job serving snacks at the Enchanted Forest Water Safari in Old Forge at age 15. In her career in fundraising, she has appreciated the important role restaurants play in “bringing people together in special ways.”

“When I decided to relocate full time to the area in 2020 and started looking at properties, I was looking for options that represented an active part of the community I loved, where I grew up spending my summers hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping and, of course, eating. This seemed like a perfect fit,” Wais said.

Over the last two years, Wais and Levy accessed local business support services and resources through SLACC and CBIT, including matchmaking opportunities that connect aspiring business owners with available businesses. SLACC Executive Director Rachel Karp is one of 13 CBIT community liaisons across the North Country who are trained to support businesses through the ownership transition process.

“The Chamber is proud to support business ownership transitions and continue our collaboration with ANCA and the Center for Businesses in Transition,” said Karp. “This program and the resources it provides are supporting businesses in many ways and truly having a positive impact. We are excited to celebrate Chrissie and John, their hard work and their bright future with the Saranac Lake community.”

“People don’t often see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a business transition,” said ANCA Executive Director Elizabeth Cooper. “Chrissie and John have already put two years of work and capital into this venture.” She said the two have worked hard to develop their respective business plans, navigate state and local agencies, create a professional services team, access licensing, secure financing and more.

Other local connections inspired Wais and Levy to pursue the business venture. Terry Kent, a former Lake Placid resident and Olympian who worked with Wais at Cornell University, introduced her to Lee Keet, a long-time advocate for the development of the rail trail from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake. Keet’s insight about the multi-use recreational trail and its economic potential for local businesses helped Wais and Levy develop forward-thinking business plans.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the Belvedere Restaurant at 102 Bloomingdale Ave. today. The event, which is part of SLACC’s Business After Hours series, is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register for planning purposes at www.slareachamber.org/event-details/ribbon-cutting-celebration-and-business-after-hours-at-the-belvedere.