By Jaden Dumbleton

Oct. 15, 2019

In the small town of Leroy, about 15 minutes from Batavia down Route 5, there is a brand new place to eat called Martin`s Restaurant. The Martins are a local family made up of Matt Martin, former New York State Trooper of 21 years who currently works at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia, Lani Martin, and Dylan Martin, their son, who has served in the National Guard for six years. They purchased the restaurant on October 1, 2018. The family had to put in around eight months of work including new floors, a brand new kitchen and most of the plumbing. They wanted to make the restaurant their own. And as one of the co-owners, Lani Martin said, they want their customers to “feel the warmth” of the building and the staff. They wanted everyone to “come together as a family” and enjoy the fresh, warm cooking that the amazing kitchen staff brings to life. This delicious food was personally tested and chosen by the owners to give their customers the healthiest and freshest choices. All the food is local, right down to the chicken. 

This homey restaurant also has homemade ice cream and pies which are personally made by the owners themselves and the wonderful kitchen staff. There is also an attachment to the restaurant that is open as an ice cream shop in the summer. The ice cream shop offers homemade ice cream in four different sizes along with Upstate Farms custard. The menu also includes other tasty treats such as sundaes, floats, milkshakes, and more.

The ice cream shop was the first to open on May 20 this year, and the restaurant soon followed. A month later, on June 20, hungry people started filing in.

The restaurant was a lifelong dream of Matt Martin who holds a Bachelor’s in Business after attending RIT and Alfred. This dream came along because of his fist job. He was hired as a dishwasher in a restaurant and moved on to be a line cook in high school. He continued to work there throughout his high school career and for a while after.  So you could say this restaurant was a dream come true.

The restaurant did almost have a different name, The Oatka Creek Diner, but the family name suits the homey feel. Come by to be greeted with a smile and leave with a warm heart.