SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Horses Lounge, a staple in Schenectady for almost 50 years, closed its doors at the end of June. Now, the restaurant is reopening under new ownership.

On November 9, previous owner Christian Fritzen announced that The Horses Lounge had been sold and the new owner was keeping the name. The new owner is Tommy Nicchi, who also owns The Comedy Works in Saratoga Springs and The Broken Inn in Niskayuna.

According to a post by Nicchi on November 14, he plans to keep most things about The Horses Lounge the same, including the décor, craft beers and the Fritzen recipes for blue cheese, corned beef and chicken wings.

“The Horses is loved by so many, myself included, and that’s a direct reflection of the time, effort and love that the Fritzen family and all of their employees put in,” said Nicchi. “They did it right. No one accidentally stays open for 47 years in this business.”

Fritzen’s father, Fred, and his wife Gladys, opened The Horses Lounge at 912 McClellan Street in 1976. Fritzen moved back to Schenectady in 2014 to take care of his father and run The Horses Lounge. His father passed away in February 2021 and Fritzen decided to close The Horses Lounge in June to focus on his health and well-being.

The Horses Lounge is set to reopen in about two to three months, said Nicchi, so they have time to renovate the kitchen, work on the bathrooms, and hire and train the staff. You can look for updates on the opening on The Horses Lounge Facebook page.