Justine’s of Cobleskill is no more.
The once-popular restaurant that burned in January 2020 was demolished last week.
Stewart’s Shops bought the burned-out property, which is adjacent to the Stewart’s on West Main Street, last year.
“We have no plans yet,” said Steve Licciardi of Stewart’s offices. “We wanted to clean up that corner. There’s nothing on the table.”
A Cobleskill village official speculated that Stewart’s wanted to control the property so that another convenience store wouldn’t come in.
Owned by Steve and Joanne Salerno, Justine’s was a lunch and dinner locale and a gathering spot for friends and families.
The fire heavily damaged the upstairs, and the ground floor suffered smoke and water damage. The blaze came just a month after the Salernos had completed a new bar and lounge.