Patrick Mainey and Joshua Mousseau may have purchased Painter’s, but its the residents of Cornwall who actually own the three-decade-old restaurant – in spirit anyway. After 34 years, Sal and Peter Buttiglieri decided to retire and sell the business. Mainey and Mousseau jumped at the opportunity.
“We both agreed this wasn’t a restaurant,” Mainey said. “This was more of a reputation because Painter’s is synonymous with Cornwall. We didn’t feel we were buying a restaurant; we felt like we were buying a reputation.”
Mainey and Mousseau met each other playing golf about five years ago. Unhappy careerwise, Mainey approached his friend about partnering together on a business venture. The original plan was to flip houses, so they purchased some property in the City of Newburgh. The idea never panned out and the two eventually started a property management company and sold off most of their portfolio. Around the same time, Michael Dederick, Mousseau’s cousin and executive chef at Painter’s, suggested they buy the restaurant.
Although neither had ever owned a restaurant, both had experience in the business. Mousseau has served as a bartender and in management, but was always fascinated with the commercial side of the culinary world. Mainey’s first job was as a host at Cosimo’s on Union Avenue, where he worked his way up to server. His most recent endeavor was working as captain at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown.
Over six months, the duo worked out the details with the Buttiglieri brothers and officially took over on Sept. 12.
The new owners don’t plan to make wholesale changes, but some improvements have already been put into place. A Point of Sales system was introduced immediately to do away with orders placed with pen and paper.
“I don’t like going out to dinner and waiting for food; I don’t like waiting for service,” Mainey said. “The idea behind a POS System was to streamline everything at a more efficient pace.”
In addition to new landscaping, one of the other major changes is the renovation of the front gallery. The new owners will also bring back the Painter’s Tavern name. Some of the amenities will be modernized as time and money allows, but the menu will stay the same.
“I can’t tell you how many people pulled me aside the first few weeks just to make sure we’re not tearing the place down or turning it into an Applebee’s or changing too much,” Mousseau said. “They want their comfort zone.”
The transition as restaurant owners hasn’t been easy, but Sal has been extremely helpful in making sure Mainey and Mousseau succeed. Sal has walked the basement to make sure everything is stocked and has even reminded the duo to place orders. He still calls to check if they need anything.
Mainey credits the staff for training them, rather than the other way around. With experience ranging from one to 19 years, the staff picked up the POS System immediately without the typical weeks of training the company typically experiences when installing the system. Chef Michael Dederick has been a sounding board for ideas, mainly for the influence his family has had on the restaurant business in the Hudson Valley. Finally, Mainey credits general manager Nicole Despres for putting in 80-hour work weeks to ensure Painter’s continues to be successful.
EDIT – Oct. 25. 2019: We mistakenly referred to Executive Chef Michael Dederick as Michael Bonura. A eagle-eyed reader notified us of this mistake and the story has been updated with the correct name.