Niagara Gazette

Local News

February 7, 2010

LEWISTON: Silo owner ready to invest $100K into former Ted Mars caboose

By Nick Mattera

A historic 1890s-era wooden caboose is being readied for its permanent stop at a popular Lewiston eatery.

The iconic Ted Mars Delicatessen boxcar, purchased last year by Silo Restaurant owner Alan Hastings, will be the newest addition in a slew of renovations taking place at the river side location.

Hastings said he is expecting to invest about $100,000 to convert the former Canadian National Railroad car into a full-service ice cream stand in an effort to make his restaurant more customer friendly

“I have listened to the customers and they weren’t happy with how crowded the facility was,” Hastings said. “Now we will have an additional 350 square feet of space to utilize for our ice cream operations.”

Additional bathrooms will be built inside the restaurant and a new concrete deck outside of the Silo overlooking the river will help combat the traffic jams that are frequent on busy summer days, Hastings said. Bistro tables and knee walls will be added to the park surrounding the Silo, to give patrons a comfortable place to enjoy their frozen treat, Hastings said.

The area in front of the Silo will be professional landscaped and manicured so that it becomes a welcoming place for Lewiston visitors, he added.

He said that the stand will feature probiotic frozen yogurt with fresh fruit toppings as well as sugar free, and non-dairy options to help accommodate all customers.

Hastings paid $2,500 for the caboose, which will cost $9,000 to move when he transports it into the village later this month. He said that the inside is in surprisingly good condition and just needs to be outfitted with electricity.

In October, the Lewiston Village board approved a measure 3-2 to bring the train to town. Board members at the time opposed to plan because it was believed that it would obstruct views of the waterfront. As a part of the agreement, Hastings adjusted the plans to make them less intrusive to the waterfront and will be making rent payments to the village totaling $8,000 in 2010, $9,000 in 2011 and $10,00 in 2012.

The caboose is expected to be ready to serve customers the first week of May.

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