The owner of a troubled restaurant in the region is vowing to reopen after state health inspectors shuttered his business over an insect problem.
Saratoga County’s Route 50 Diner – located in Ballston Spa at 2002 Doubleday Avenue – was closed Thursday, May 30, after a New York State Department of Health inspector uncovered a cockroach infestation, according to the agency’s report.
The report added that the business, which opened in 2017, is working with a pest control company “for ongoing treatment” to mitigate the issue.
Owner Brian Hyra confirmed the development in a defiant Facebook post in which he preemptively defended his business against online critics.
“So, I will say this: As much as everybody wants to put us down and say negative things, we will rise up and we always do,” Hyra said. “We will be open again and the negative comments, if you have an opinion or something to say, please come and tell us in person. If not, don’t hide behind Facebook.”
Hyra went on to say that the restaurant is doing “the best we can” to reopen, adding that employees have spent over two days “trying to do what we need to do to reopen.”
“And anything people want to say, guess what sticks and stones it does not hurt us,” he said. “We know what we do.”
The health inspector’s report stated that Hyra must provide the Glens Falls District Office with documentation from a pest control company confirming that the cockroach problem has been mitigated, as well as a contract for preventative maintenance for six months, before it can reopen.
This isn’t the first time that Route 50 Diner has made negative headlines; the restaurant was seized by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in December 2023 for unpaid taxes, WTEN reports. The business reopened days later once the taxes were paid.
Opened in 2017, the restaurant serves breakfast and lunch with a heavy focus on supporting local veterans. Hyra regularly provides food to the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition.
“We are here for the public. We’re here for veterans. We’re here for everyday customers who depend on us who have now been four days probably without a decent meal,” he said.
“Not only that, there is staff with children that depend on this to feed their families. We want to be there.”
