By Rachel Dutil • Photos by Jessica McCafferty
Matt and Brandie Hammons’ dream of having their own restaurant became a reality on June 14, 2023 when they opened the doors to Frencheez on Lake Street in Rouses Point. Now, one year into their venture, the couple has no regrets. “Food has always been something we’ve been passionate about,” Matt said. “I’ve always been a foodie; always loved cooking and eating, and cooking for people. That’s my happiness.”
The pair met when they were both working at Pizza Palace in Plattsburgh. Brandie was a waitress. Matt was first a delivery driver and later a cook at the restaurant. Fast forward, they are married and have two children who love being at the restaurant and helping however they can.
With an eye to opening their own place, the Hammons looked at different locations in Plattsburgh, Champlain, Rouses Point, and Chazy. They even considered opening a restaurant in the building they now occupy back in 2020, but the timing didn’t work out between the birth of their daughter and the pandemic.
In 2022, on a family camping trip, Brandie and Matt started talking about French fries and various loaded fry varieties while sitting around a campfire. “The ideas just started rolling,” Matt said. The two realized that if they continued to wait for their dream to happen, it probably wouldn’t. “We began to write things down. We called the Adirondack Economic Development Council (AEDC) and we started to figure out what we would actually need to do this.”
That 70s Vibe
When they first considered it, 90 Lake Street in Rouses Point, a diner or restaurant for decades, had been vacant for several years. Most locals will recall it as Old Tyme Cafe. When Brandie’s dad, Randy Davison, purchased the building, the restaurant was gutted. Everything was gone.
Davison helped the couple to build the restaurant from scratch which allowed them to make it their own. The rebuild was costly because they needed to fully outfit the kitchen and dining room. Brandie enjoyed searching for deals through online restaurant auctions. “A lot of people come in and say, ‘Wow, you changed everything’,” Brandie explained. And they did.
Walking into Frencheez is like stepping back into the 1970s. The restaurant’s logo – a smiling, animated French fry carton offers a peace sign in welcome. A large, colorful mural on the wall of the dining room, painted by local artist, Erin Harrigan Gorby, sets the tone with rich hues of yellow, pink and orange. A kids lounge area has toys, a couch and a shag carpet. A yellow rotary phone hangs on the wall behind the bar. Hits from the 1970s provide background music for the upbeat ambiance.
“Brandie had the vision for this place and she saw what it could be,” Matt said. The decision to go with a ‘70s theme didn’t develop until the couple started renovating and recognized the charm and character of the building. “The decade of the ‘70s was meaningful, whether it was the food or the music, or as a time of social revolution. That was our inspiration. I love that we had the ability to make our own choices because this is our place now,” Brandie added.
“Piece by piece, one section of wallpaper at a time, one flower sticker at a time, it all came together,” Matt offered proudly. “We learned so much because neither of us were alive in the ’70s. It’s been a journey for us, realizing just how cool the ’70s were,” he added. “It fits perfectly with what we’re doing here.”
Feel Good Food
Matt and Brandie admit even though they loved the space, they were a bit hesitant to open a restaurant in a town with several other well-established eateries. “There are a lot of great restaurants in Rouses Point, so we weren’t sure if there was room for us,” Matt said. “We looked at what other people in town were doing well and we thought we could do something different. We don’t have to be a pizza place or an Italian place or a sandwich shop. There are tons of great options in this town and we wanted to find our niche.” Frencheez has found its place, serving dishes that are unlike what is found on other menus in town and in the area.
“An idea that came to us early on was using the same set of ingredients in different ways so that we could maximize what we had and offer a wider variety,” Matt said. He explained that many dishes can be made as a rice bowl, on French fries, a salad, or nachos. “The idea is that we can prep once and use those ingredients four or five different ways.”
That idea allows Matt and his cooking team to be creative and minimize waste. “There have been so many times in my life I was limited because I was working for someone else,” Matt observed. The ability to foster creativity in the kitchen for himself and his staff is one of the best parts of running the business, he reflected.
“Real food is so important. A lot of times in today’s world, there’s a tradeoff — convenience or real, authentic ingredients. For us, the more we can use real ingredients and make things fresh, make things ourselves, that is a big part of our concept here” Matt explained. “Our guideline is, ‘Does it taste good? Does it make people feel good to eat it? Then let’s try it,’” he said.
Family Business
Brandie loves the fast pace of working in a restaurant. “When we’re the busiest, is when I’m happiest. I love flying around here. I love interacting with people,” she said. “Cooking is my happy place. Nothing in the world makes me happier than cooking for my family,” Matt added.
Davison is often found at Frencheez doing any number of things. “He does everything around here. He makes Michigan sauce, he cuts French fries, makes hamburgers, he fixes things,” Matt enthused. “He is really the unsung hero of this place.”
The couple’s children, Brayden, 8 and Madelyn, 3, love to help in the restaurant. Brayden welcomes customers and delivers menus and silverware and Madalyn likes to help make whipped cream and fill the salt and pepper shakers.
The name Frencheez is a merging of French fries and cheese, Matt explained. “All this got its start while we were sitting by a campfire talking about French fries and what could be done with them. And now here we are.”
Frencheez
90 Lake St.
Rouses Point, NY12979
518-206-4117
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