ALYSSA BUMP
Chief Copy & Design Editor
Even though the closest physical food court is about 50 miles northeast of Fredonia, the recent opening of The Point brings the first virtual food court to the area.
“You can order off of three menus at the same time,” said Nick Keefe, a managing partner of The Point. “It is like being able to go to three different places and get it all paid for at the same time, which really sets us apart from everyone else.”
The restaurant, located in the former Moose Club on 286 West Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk, opened its doors for the first time to diners on Monday, Jan. 23. The restaurant has been open for take out and delivery since early January.
Photo by ALYSSA BUMP | Chief Copy & Design Editor.
Keefe is the previous owner and operator of TaQo/The Big Cheeseburger, a popular restaurant once located on 36 Main St. in Fredonia. Its menu has become a staple for the college community, and luckily, it is still available at The Point.
“With TaQo, it’s all built around the same ingredients [as before]. So you can get tacos, bowls, burritos, nachos, … and everything’s fully customizable,” Keefe said. “… The Big Cheeseburger is just quality hamburgers. … It’s kind of similar to Five Guys but a little higher quality.”
The restaurant’s menu is known for its fresh ingredients, housemade condiments and 12-hour smoked brisket.
“We make everything from scratch — all of our pickled veggies, sauces, marinades or rubs — all of that is made in house,” Keefe said. “We smoke our own brisket and our own pulled pork. … Those [practices] have been established for a while, so we have a pretty good following of those different concepts.”
Along with the previous menus, The Point offers a third, new menu: Rustico artisan pizza.
The thin crust, gourmet pizza menu has been created with the help of Keefe’s fellow managing partner, Ale Manino. Their third managing partner, Allan Steinberg, owns The Point’s building.
Dine-in customers over the age of 21 can also enjoy a variety of spirits and drinks at the bar. Keefe and his partners have an innovative, digital tab system for the bar and dine-in area.
“We’re the first locally owned restaurant in Chautauqua County to do [both] order and pay at the table,” Keefe said. “So you can come in, you can scan a QR code and you can start a tab right there.”
Quick and easy ordering is a key element to The Point’s delivery system as well. Keefe said it is another area where he has invested a lot into the technology.
“We’ve built [the delivery system] for the last three years … utilizing the tools that are out there,” Keefe said. “… We also have a real slick curbside pickup system where you can text in which we actually did develop.”
The delivery system charges a flat $3 fee, which outcompetes prices of delivery services like DoorDash. Students can order delivery right to their dorm at SUNY Fredonia.
“We’ll deliver pretty much anywhere,” Keefe said. “We go down to the Brockton Prison … then to the airport … and then at Fredonia, we go all the way to route 60.”
Keefe hopes to create a family-friendly environment in the dining area to cater towards millennial families and the younger demographic.
The Point’s planning initiatives began last October; TaQo/The Big Cheeseburger closed right after Thanksgiving. A little more than a month later, The Point opened.
“It’s been a lot. Most people don’t open up something from scratch. … This has been a monster of a project,” Keefe said. “I take a lot of pride in the fact that I was able to get it up and running.”
Some of Keefe’s favorite menu items include the smoked brisket and the new sausage pizza. Keefe’s mom, Janet Keefe, said her favorite is the quesadillas.
Keefe is a SUNY Fredonia alum, and most of his close family consists of Fredonia graduates.
“Both of Nick’s parents, his brother, his sister and his wife are all Fredonia State graduates,” Janet said.
Because of Keefe’s close proximity to campus, he frequently works with students and hires them. One of these students is Jax Moeller, a senior sociology major, who has worked at The Point since its opening. Like Janet, Moeller’s favorite item on the menu is quesadillas. He also noted the variety and quality of The Point’s dining options.
“I think that the pizza is really different from any of the local Buffalo pizzas,” Moeller said. “I think our pizzas are definitely the way to go.”
Moving forward, Keefe has big plans for The Point’s event room, which is currently being developed.
“The next step is we want to start developing this side and doing events and parties,” Keefe said. “It’s a place where I want to cater to the college because I know that there’s not a lot of places other than on campus where you can do events … like karaoke night and trivia night.”
To keep up to date with The Point’s future projects, follow @taqofredonia on Instagram and Facebook.