Sneak Peek: The New Gaffney's
SLAH gets the inside scoop on the reimagined Caroline Street bar ahead of its May 1 opening.
It’s finally happening, Saratoga. After sitting vacant for nearly two years, Gaffney’s is reopening under new ownership on May 1. And last week, Saratoga Living After Hours got a look inside.
The first thing to know about the revival of Gaffney’s is that it’s being undertaken by a team that remembers just how good the bar once was. “I had my 40th birthday party in this room,” said General Manager Peter Wager, who came to Gaffney’s after 11 years as 15 Church’s beverage director. “…and I have all kinds of stories I can’t share with you.”
“I would sit on the patio, eat French onion soup, and watch the bands,” said Saraetta Mehan, the director of operations. “Only person eating French onion soup in Saratoga was me.”
“I remember I was wearing baby blue faux leather shorts, and the zipper broke,” said Stephanie Curtis, who you may have seen in recent videos talking about the Gaffney’s revival. “I was like, I can’t go home…So I tied a flannel around my waist.”
For Mike Morgan, who co-owns Gaffney’s with Mike Malone, the best memory is simply of the bar and its famous live music scene being the focal point of Caroline Street.
“I’ve seen the place abandoned for the last couple of years, and saw the path that led to its demise,” he said. “Mike and I decided that we were going to revive it. We’re going to try to touch on some of the stuff that made it great from the start and obviously reimagine it to 2026 with some new ideas, new entertainment, new menu ideas.”
So let’s get into it. The upper-level bar is being reimagined as The Parlor, with 1920s speakeasy vibes, velvet wallpaper, and a food menu to match (yes, food!). Think beef tartare, steak, salads, and seafood apps and entrées, which will be served both at the bar and in the Dining Room—the long, skinny room between the upper- and lower-level bars.
Stepping down another level, you’ll enter into The Starting Gate bar. That room will have sports-bar vibes: TVs, burgers, wings…you get the idea. That menu will also be available on the patios—both the covered one on the corner (aka the atrium/Fish Tank) and the expansive ground-level patio on Putnam Street—as will brunch menus, which will be served both indoors and out from 11am–2pm on weekends beginning in June.
Speaking of the patio, that’s also getting a refresh. Bands used to perform under the windows near the building; now, there’ll be a stage on the other side of the patio, so that people dining inside can actually see the performers. The side brick patio (I know, there are a lot of patios—now I’m talking about the one under the racing mural), will be open during the day as well as for late-night bottle service. The owners are also exploring building another patio on top of the outdoor bar at the far corner of the property.
One question I’ve heard over and over again recently: What type of entertainment can we expect at the new Gaffneys? On weekends it’ll be bands from 7–11pm (as well as sometimes during brunch hours), and DJs from 11pm–2am. For opening weekend—Derby Day, no less—Dueling Pianos will be performing. The next weekend Big Sky Country will take the stage, and the weekend after that will be an EDM show. So, in short, something for everyone.
“I think we’re going to be a hybrid place,” Mike said. “We’re going to hit a lot of different markets at different times of the day with the cocktail lounge up top, the sports bar, and then late-night obviously it’ll be the Caroline Street crowd with DJs and such.”
“And then we also have brunch starting in June that’s going to draw in people of all ages,” Saraetta added.
I had one final question: Why’d they decide to keep the name Gaffney’s?
“Everybody has good memories of Gaffney’s,” Saraetta said. “Even with the previous owners—there’s a whole generation that has good memories. It’s iconic. The best way to put it is ‘The Saratoga Tradition.’ That’s just what it is.”
—Natalie
Want to know more? We teamed up with the Off Track Saratoga podcast to break this news! Check out their episode preview here and listen to the full episode, out today, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Such a wonderful article, thank you for stopping by! 🤍