In a social media post, co-owner Matt Finnigan attributed personal health issues to the permanent closure of the eponymous tavern after nearly three years in business.
“To say we are sad would be a terrible understatement,” Matt Finnegan wrote Sunday on behalf of himself and his wife, co-owner Stephanie Finnigan.
The restaurant owner explained that he is currently close to death for the third time in 34 months and has decided to put his health before Finnigan’s on the Lake.
At the end of last week, the restaurant had to temporarily close due to illness.
“We would like to thank all of our sponsors, friends, family and staff for their support and hard work,” he wrote.
It is not their first closure. The couple bought Carney’s Tavern back in 2013 and later closed it in 2021 due to issues maintaining the building’s 180-year-old infrastructure.
Like Carney’s, Finnigan’s on the Lake, off Lake Road, has changed hands several times in more than a century. It was originally built as a home and served as a speakeasy in the 1920s.
More recently, it was home to Villago Pizzeria & Ristorante under owners Sandy Foster and Joseph Guerrera, who took it over in 2014 after Good Times Lakeview Restaurant permanently closed after more than four decades in business.
Like Finnigan’s, Hugh Kelleigh, who co-owned Good Times for 25 years, was battling health complications when the family closed the restaurant. The patriarch, who died a year after the change of ownership, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Matt Finnigan’s health issues occurred both at the beginning and end of his lakefront business. The restaurant’s opening was postponed after the Voorheesville native had to undergo open-heart surgery, and in 2023 he spent four days in treatment at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
The exact causes of his recent health problems are unclear.
None of the co-owners immediately responded to a request for comment on Sunday.
The loss of the establishment sparked numerous well-wishes on social media from former guests, including former News Channel 13 anchor Benita Zahn.
“I send you my best wishes… we always enjoyed our time at the restaurant…” Zahn wrote. “I hope you get well soon.”
Chad Dorrough, owner of The Hideaway restaurant at Saratoga Lake Golf Club, praised Matt Finnigan in a comment for taking the time to focus on his health.
“Often we live to provide quality of life for our teams at the expense of our own well-being,” Dorrough said. “Take care of yourself, man, because when you’re gone, you’ll never have another opportunity to be there for those you care about most.”
