Popular downtown restaurant begins new era in ‘smooth, amicable’ transition

BY KEVIN J. ROGERS 
kevin@theballstonjournal.com

After five years, the successful and profitable run Scott and Carloyn Frances have enjoyed at 51 Front Wine Bar and Bistro has come to a planned, voluntary end. New owner Joe Marosek has taken over the reins as of June 2.

“It was time,” said Carolyn Frances. “We were tired, my son just graduated from high school, we have a four-year-old daughter, and my dad has had two strokes in Florida. My parents need us. There are a multitude of reasons.”

Having Marosek ready to step in made the decision to sell easier. “We have a mutual friend, and he (Marosek) called in January to see if we were interested in selling,” Frances said. “We were able to put something together so we said what the heck.”

The Franceses will make the move to Florida on July 1. “My only regret is leaving friends and the house on McMaster Street,” Frances said. “I’m really gonna miss the small town and the closeness. We got a lot of calls when the word got out, and people came up to thank us. It made me cry.”

The restaurateur thinks the decision to leave Saratoga for downtown is one of the best she’s made. “If nothing else I got to prove people wrong,” she said. “Ballston Spa is the deal of the century for people who want to own a business.”

Passing the torch to Marosek is likewise the perfect move, Frances said. “Joe is a super nice guy,” she said. “He’s been cooking with Scott for six weeks now. The only thing that will be real different is we won’t be there, but he’s a very accomplished chef and I hope everyone supports them.”

Joseph and Elena Marosek of 51 Front Wine Bar and Bistro. Photo courtesy Joe Marosek.

For his part, Marosek intends to pick up where the Franceses left off. “I’ve been working with Scott, it’s been a team on weekends,” he said. “I’m very familiar with everything he does. The fried chicken is a classic, very well done, the barbeque shrimp is a signature that customers want to see stay. There are a few other dishes. The coconut shrimp I would like to see stay because of the freshness.”

But Marosek also intends to employ techniques and use ingredients he learned during a stint in Cyprus. The chef spent six years working on the Mediterranean island after graduating from the culinary program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “It’s a Mediterranean menu, but that’s not the predominant theme by any means,” he said. “The way their (the Frances’) menu changed according to the season, what’s inspiring, what they can find in the market, that’s the way we’re going to do it.”

Two big changes Marosek has planned are a full bar service and the introduction of a monthly Sunday brunch. “We want to start off doing a Sunday brunch on the first Sunday of every month,” he said. “It can be an event. We’ll have to measure it and get feedback from the community.”

Full bar service is also something new for the bistro, although “we’re not looking for a bar scene,” Marosek said. Draft beers will rotate according to the season, and the wine list will change to suit the seasonal menu as well.

Marosek’s full liquor license is pending. Beer and wine service is still in effect.

51 Front has been closed this week for inventory and staff orientation. Marosek plans to have a soft opening and grand re-opening later this month, and the staff has agreed to stay on. “The girls are excited,” he said. “They’re going to miss Scott and Carloyn, but we’re close already.”

51 Front Wine Bar and Bistro is located at 51 Front St. in downtown Ballston Spa. For information call 518-727-2089 or visit their website at www.51front.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.51FrontWineBarandBistro. Current business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to closing. Information on the pending Sunday brunch service will be posted online.

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