Still, Something Special
Article and photos by Jessica McCafferty
In March of 2010 SB focused on food with an issue entitled Dining Out featuring restaurants about town. In one article, Daily Specials, we explored three local diner-style places that made much of their business from the most important meal of the day — breakfast. In the 15 years since then, health studies and diet trends have come and gone. Cutting out carbs and intermittent fasting are all the rage these days and so we wondered if those restaurants had withstood the test of time. We found three different outcomes when we checked in on where these businesses are now.
The Campus Corner
Sue Upton’s S&K Campus Corner restaurant continued to thrive after our 2010 article, remaining a staple to the locals and college students. Known for its tight quarters in the building, in 2017 she added outdoor seating for the warmer months to accommodate up to 30 additional patrons, weather permitting. By the close of 2019 the business was doing well enough that Upton was able to purchase the former hotel building the restaurant had called home since the original opening in the 1950s. Three months later, COVID shut downs started. Despite the struggle, Upton is grateful to have been able to keep the doors open and most of her staff employed throughout the pandemic.
Campus Corner’s business has rebounded and has now surpassed pre-pandemic numbers. Open daily, breakfast is still its biggest seller and is served all day. Specials rotate daily and seasonally with comfort food favorites like their Hearty Chicken and Biscuit special available year-round. Roughly 35% of the Corner’s business is take-out orders.
Upton spoke fondly of her long-time clientele. “For some of my older clients who no longer cook for themselves, ours can be their one big meal of the day and I want them to know they are getting our best.” Reminiscent of a coffee klatsch, the counter is where they meet to eat and talk.
When the time comes for Upton to hang up her apron, she intends to sell, though it doesn’t seem to be in the near future. Her parting comments to SB were, “I have lost a lot, I have gained a lot and it’s been a good run.” This remarkably kind and caring woman certainly seems to be someone content with her journey.
Formerly Known as Duke’s
When Duke’s Diner – aka Chefy’s to the regulars – relocated from Clinton Street in downtown Plattsburgh to Tom Miller Road in 2008 for a better building and more parking, business tripled. Chefy was in the kitchen turning out breakfast and lunch for his regulars for the next decade and then COVID hit, While Duke’s made it through the pandemic, on the other side sales were just not where they used to be. Eating out had taken a hit. By 2022 Duquette had placed the restaurant on the market.
In summer 2023 Melanie Desso took a job at Duke’s as a waitress. Desso has been working in restaurants most of her life and after the summer at Duke’s, she decided to take the plunge and have her own restaurant. By the end of the year she had purchased the business and Duquette was on his way to Florida for the next chapter in his life.
Desso renamed the restaurant, Mel’s Diner, and set out to remodel the interior. Gone were the uncomfortable old booths, replaced with stylish tables and chairs that allowed more seating. The walls were painted a rich red with black and white art and vinyl albums that add a 60s rock feel that blends well with what remains of the 50s diner atmosphere. There was little change to the menu overall, still offering big breakfasts and sticking to dishes already popular at the restaurant. Now that the season is upon us, you can find a Perch Fry on the menu at Mel’s each Thursday this spring.
Desso is comfortable with both the front and back of the house so depending on the day you drop in, she will either be in the kitchen cooking or on the floor covering tables and talking to customers.
One Location, Many Faces
The final restaurant SB covered in March 2010 was It’s All Good and its owner Ray Beebe. The restaurant was the concession provider for Off Track Betting (OTB) located at the east end of the Skyway Shopping Center. The arrangement worked well for five years, but when the OTB contract ended Beebe moved on. The building space saw two more restaurants come through, but after 2021 COVID restrictions made operating the restaurant nearly impossible.
When the pandemic started to lift, and with the Skyway space still empty, Sue Stefanick, a long-time restaurant operator in the south end of Plattsburgh stepped up. In 1996 Stefanick had taken a “dive bar” with daily fights and turned it into a place for friends to gather. The Dry Dock was a staple in the city and everyone knew about its famous chicken wings. The kitchen however was cramped, parking was horrible and the building was old. After 26 years at the U.S. Avenue location, and a lot of hard work, Stefanick was ready to turn the page.
In April of 2022 she opened in the former OTB space under the name Good Thymes. The kitchen space, managed by her grandson, Ty, doubled serving burgers, fries, wraps, and their still famous wings. Food service is now making up almost 50% of businesses sales. Super Bowl weekend 2025 Good Thymes put out over 1,800 wings for to-go parties. The additional floor space allows for dart boards, so they can host tournaments. They currently have twelve leagues that practice and play there weekly adding to overall sales. With the new layout the restaurant can host private events and offer catering. The move has turned out to be an all-around smart business move on Stefanick’s part.
The first of the three restaurants SB featured in 2010 has retained its owner and is doing well.
The second has a new owner and it too is doing well and the third struggled for a time, but now has a new owner and a new lease on life. Each still offers something special.
Campus Corner
92 Bridge Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 563-4154
Mel’s Diner
8 Tom Miller Road
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 310-0977
Good Tymes
12 Skyway Plaza
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 561-9993
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