Owner Trish Aser asking community to help fund project
Trish Aser, owner of Brown Hound Bistro in South Bristol, is looking to expand her restaurant business to Canandaigua, and is asking the community for support through an online fundraising campaign. Aser hopes to buy the historic building at 13 Niagara Street, which was at one time Canandaigua's original firehouse. All money raised from the fundraising campaign at www.Kickstarter.com will go towards the down payment needed to secure the building. Aser hopes to raise $25,000.
The downtown Canandaigua location would be similar in concept to the current South Bristol Brown Hound Bistro – focusing on farm-to-table dining featuring local farmers, brewers, winemakers, cideries and distilleries. Opening in Canandaigua would provide Aser the opportunity to reach more people and work with more local businesses that are a part of the Finger Lakes culinary movement.
"Brown Hound Bistro in South Bristol is a very seasonal business. We just aren't reaching as many people as we'd like to with a quality, local, and fresh dining experience," said Aser. "Expanding into downtown Canandaigua would give so many more people the ability to enjoy the Brown Hound experience."
Aser's plans for the new location include an expanded bar area, more seating for guests and reaching into local arts and culture with weekly entertainment showcasing local artists and musicians. The ever-changing menu would focus on seasonal and fresh ingredients that are native to the Finger Lakes region.
"I have the vision to bring an exceptional and new dining experience to Canandaigua, but I need the community's support to make it happen," said Aser. "The Finger Lakes community has always been so supportive of Brown Hound Bistro and I am so thankful for that. This has always been a business about community, and now so more than ever."
The Kickstarter campaign runs from July 12 to July 27. Rewards for backing the project range from bumper stickers and t-shirts at the lower levels. Higher levels include perks such as VIP parking, private opening parties and even spots on a tasting panel to help shape the seasonal menus at the new Brown Hound Bistro.
