SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A new restaurant called Original Grain plans to open June 13 in the former Tim Hortons space of the Pike Block building at 302 S. Salina St. in Syracuse.
Original Grain is described as “an eatery that makes you feel like a part of the food cycle, not just a consumer of it,” according to a news release that VIP Structures issued. Syracuse–based VIP Structures is the developer of the Pike Block building.
Eric Hinman, tri-athlete and partner at Urban Life Athletics of Syracuse; Chris Bily, founder and previous owner of Armory Square eatery Modern Malt; and Matthew Godard, founder of Cafe Kubal, are launching the new venture, VIP said.
Cafe Kubal is a Syracuse–based coffee roaster and retailer.
Hinman and Bily were “drawn” to healthy, fast food in their travels to New York City and Los Angeles. They noticed a “gap” for the product in the Syracuse market, according to the VIP release. That’s when they joined with Godard to pursue the venture.
Original Grain will use supplies from local farms, such as New Hope Mills in Auburn, Abbott Farms in Lysander, and Critz Farms in Cazenovia to serve customers a “home-cooked, healthy” lunch.
The concept and business name come from “century-old techniques” of harvesting, according to the release.
“We encourage everyone to look inward towards the source of life in order to connect better to each other and to the things we ingest,” Godard said in the VIP news release.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com