Now located on Lake Avenue, Jim and Carrie Morris first opened the restaurant on Broadway in 1986. Years later, Michele Morris, a former Scallions server — who, despite sharing a last name, was not related to the owners — bought and ran it for nearly two decades. She handed it over to Scallions server Liz Swoyer and her husband Eric.
“So what we're told is, when we ever decide to sell, we have to source that internally,” Liz joked. A lifelong Saratogian, she met Eric while attending Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. There, she studied restaurant management and he was in the college’s culinary program.
They moved up to Spa City after graduating and Eric worked at the Gideon Putnam, Chipotle Mexican Grill and the Wheatfields Group, while Liz worked at Scallions. Since they took over, they’ve kept the charming, folk art aesthetic and renovated the private dining room. They’ve also kept the something-for-everyone style menu, offering seafood and steak along with hearty vegan and gluten-free options.
Just before the summer racing season, The Daily Gazette caught up with the Swoyers about carrying on the Scallions legacy. Question: What got you both into this industry? Liz: I would say my passion started really, my first job was in a restaurant. Just like that fast-paced environment where there was always something going on, there was something to do.
Eric: When I was 6 years old, I used to get off the school bus and run home and stand on a stool, and I woul.