Click here to subscribe today or Login.
HARVEYS LAKE — If Edye Schneider has her wish, people will soon be enjoying fine dining at her restaurant on Harveys Lake.
That’s right, Scheider plans on opening a restaurant, not just in the borough of Harveys Lake, but right on the lake itself.
Schneider will present her preliminary plans for a floating restaurant to the borough’s Zoning Hearing Board at its next meeting on June 6.
Schneider is seeking approval to proceed with a business proposal to establish an anchored floating eatery near the public boat launch within a designated “no wake zone.” She said the structure would not interfere with the watercraft traffic route.
“I do not want to intrude with people having fun on the water,” the Scranton resident said.
“I am not seeking any variances,” she said.
Schneider already received approval from the Department of Environmental Protection on her business model and is currently is waiting on her Fish and Boat Commission application approval.
The 30-foot-by-30-foot floating structure’s blueprint continues to evolve as she fine tunes details to be in compliance with all regulations, she said.
Schneider is working with a marine architect to address issues such as sewage containment systems and stabilizing the structure.
The proposed menu will not include anything fried, which removes the problem of disposing of hot grease.
“I do not believe in fried food,” Schneider said.
She proposes a small menu that includes grilled or steamed fresh seafood, chicken and spaghetti as well as locally grown produce and a few desserts.
Seafood will be delivered from the New England area every one to two days, she said.
No alcohol will be served because, Schneider said, the Fish and Boat Commission prohibits driving a boat and drinking. She plans to allow patrons, who are not driving a boat, to bring their own alcohol on board.
“I will be watching,” she said.
Customers can access the eatery via boat or take a ferry, which Schneider plans to provide.
Tentatively, she proposes to operate the seasonal restaurant from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.
The establishment would be removed from the lake in October and return in the spring, she said.
The business model developed after Schneider talked with Harveys Lake Zoning Officer Maureen Oremus about opening a fresh seafood restaurant.
“She told me to think outside of the box,” Schneider said. “It (the idea) just came out.”
Schneider began to cultivate the concept with an emphasis on environmental conscientiousness.
“I want this to feel like an extension of my backyard,” the California native said. “I love to cook and entertain.
“I want it to have a communal atmosphere where people can talk and make new friends.”