by Sophia Root, Commerce Chenango

NORWICH - On Tuesday morning, June 17, Lighthouse Cove Restaurant held a ribbon cutting before their grand opening on Saturday, June 21 from 3 p.m to 5 p.m. The owners of the restaurant are pleased with the reception they have received since opening at the end of May.

Many city officials were present at the ribbon cutting, along with Commerce Chenango President and CEO Salvatore Testani.

Testani said, “I worked at this location 30 years ago, it is an incredibly important part of Norwich and is a vibrant part of our community. We are incredibly fortunate that we have business owners willing to work hard to make downtown as vibrant as it used to be.”

Lighthouse Cove is a family affair- owners Kevin and Wendy Silvernail operate the restaurant with their sons, Kevin Jr. and Johnathan. Sister-in-laws Jennifer and Robin have also helped with promotion and getting the restaurant up and running.

Wendy Silvernail is a Norwich native and returned to Norwich with her husband, Kevin Silvernail, to care for her mother, Mary. Mary’s recovery brought their family closer, and their dream a reality. Kevin states, “I have been waiting for this building to go up for sale for 25 years. Back then, I wanted to make it a gift shop but coming back to my wife’s hometown from Texas and opening a restaurant has been a dream come true.”

The theme for the restaurant, complete with blue walls and nautical decoration, came from Wendy’s love of the ocean. Wendy and Kevin have travelled all over the country visiting lighthouses and beaches.

Although Wendy would love to live on a beach, she states, “I have loved meeting the community more than ever, even when they come in to talk and visit.”

The Silvernails plan on hiring more help as they continue operations. Kevin highlighted some other plans, such as serving breakfast all day. “We are happy to be here and are doing good business so far” he claims. Kevin added that diners love their burgers, which are unique to Lighthouse Cove due to their half pound patties, and the Friday BBQ baby back special.

Located on 23 North Broad Street, the current operating hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The family encourages the public to pay them a visit during their grand opening, Saturday, June 21 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.