Rochester’s hot Marrow restaurant to reopen following crash

ROCHESTER – Nearly 12 weeks after a car crashed into their restaurant dining room, the owners of Marrow are ready to reopen their doors.

The French-inspired bistro has begun taking dinner reservations for Friday night, co-owners Jeff and Sarah Schwenker announced this week.

The reopening follows weeks of work to restore the southwest corner of the 165-year-old structure, which was torn open when a 73-year-old driver smashed into it following a Mother’s Day brunch on May 12. There were no guests in the building at the time, and the driver suffered only minor injuries.

The Schwenkers said the situation could have been much worse. They and members of their staff were seated only a few feet from where the car landed. The driver also just missed hitting structural beams holding up the building.

“If she was left or right a few feet, it could have been a much different story,” said Sarah Schwenker.

Before the crash — which happened within days of the restaurant’s one-year anniversary — Marrow had been one of the most talked about new restaurants in town. With only 45 seats, reservations often filled up fast, with customers eager to try items off a rotating seasonal menu influenced by French, Japanese and Mediterranean flavors.

It’s an energy the Schwenkers are hoping to see return when they reopen this weekend.

“Seeing those reservations coming in, with so many familiar names, we are just getting really excited to see our people again,” said Sarah Schwenker. “And just seeing the joy and excitement of [Jeff] being in the kitchen and working with food again, it’s palpable.”

The building Marrow occupies — the Kelley Building — is believed to be the oldest brick building in Rochester. Previous tenants have included a doctor’s office, cigar shop, saloon and the city’s first newspaper.

The cost to restore the damaged wall was estimated at $70,000, according to city records.