KNOX — The Township Tavern, a long-time fixture in Knox, will soon be re-opening under a new owner.

Paul Centi, with 34 years of experience in the restaurant business, plans to open the bar and restaurant at the end of this month or the beginning of June.

Located at 1412 Township Road, the site was formerly Lucky’s Tavern and the Hilltop Café. The building has been vacant since last fall.

The Township Tavern will be a sit-down and take-out restaurant and will also feature a full bar, said Centi.
"I’m going to be family-friendly," Centi said, adding that he will offer a full kids’ menu. He will offer "standard family fare," he said. "Menus are one of the last things you can do."
Centi, 49, was most recently an executive chef at the Ginger Man on Western Avenue in Albany. Before that, he owned the Rosewood Café on New Karner Road for five years. "I just wanted to work for myself again," he said.

Centi also likes the building in the Knox hamlet of Township because of its history; the building in the Knox hamlet is about 180 years old. Once the Township Hotel, the way station served as a halfway point between Schoharie and Albany, he said.
The tavern, for many years, had been owned by Harry and Delia "Barney" Palombo and was most recently owned by Owen and Mickey Rivenburg.

As well as serving as a restaurant and bar, Centi said the Township Tavern will also host banquets — wedding receptions, anniversaries, birthdays, and retirement parties.

The community has been enthusiastic and friendly, said Centi. Neighbors have been stopping by, he said, and someone has already asked him about holding a reception.

To get the tavern up and going, some of Centi’s family will help out at first; he plans to hire between seven and 10 employees.

At first, Centi plans to open from 3 p.m. to midnight. Once his restaurant is more established, it will be open from noon to midnight, he said. Centi said he will not have a pool table in the bar nor will he book bands at his establishment. He might put in a jukebox, he said.

Centi will be spending much of his time in the kitchen, he said, and will be serving specials — seafood on Friday nights as well as pasta dishes.