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Water St. Café Celebrates Six Years, Rich History

Water St. Café in Geneva, NY is celebrating its six-year anniversary under owner James Brown. The café, which operates daily from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., has introduced a new menu highlighting many changes during its recent years of service. The café thanked customers, staff, friends, family, co-workers, guests from local accommodations, and even travelers arriving from the Canadian border for their ongoing support.

The building housing Water St. Café has a long history. In May 1876, a fire destroyed several buildings near the corner of Water and Sable streets. The following year, a structure known as the Door Block was constructed on the same corner, and the building now operating as Water St. Café was originally built at 467 Exchange Street. For many years, the space was used as a hardware store, selling tools, stoves, and farm equipment, with a tin shop on the third floor. In 1903, the building became known as the Wacke Store, which specialized in dry goods and textiles. After a short period of operation, the store closed in 1907.

In addition to the history of the building, Water Street in Geneva has been an important area since the early 1900s. Originally a main thoroughfare filled with horse-drawn buggies, busy shoppers, merchants, and entertainers, the street was closely connected to Seneca Lake. With the lake serving as a prominent backdrop to Water Street, there were several attempts to convert the shoreline into a park during the first decade of the 1900s. These efforts succeeded in 1929 when Mayor Guivin helped establish the park, moving the shoreline further away and contributing to Geneva’s growth once the railway was constructed.

Water St. Café’s anniversary celebration marks not only its recent success but also its connection to more than a century of local history.

Source: Water St. Cafe

Source Type: restaurant

Source Location: Geneva

Jan 2, 2026 at 12:17 PM

restaurant