Coming soon Giant Oaks Winery in Finleyville to open restaurant
Following extensive renovations to the building at 3540 Washington Road in Finleyville, Giant Oaks Winery owner Lou Siyufy and his wife, Linda, plan to open a 50-seat Italian restaurant in early 2026.
Siyufy purchased the building in May 2019 and renovated a portion of the first-floor structure to open the 1,200-square-foot wine tasting room with a bar and high-top, wine-barrel style seating. Two event rooms opened subsequently, the Cabernet Room in the fall of 2020 and the Malbec Room in the spring of 2021. The wine tasting room exclusively features Siyufy’s own Giant Oaks label wines as well as his many flavors of moonshine. Several brand name beers are available on tap.
The most recent renovation for the first floor, 3,000-square-foot restaurant with a fully equipped kitchen has approached $100,000, Siyufy said. The restaurant will feature tables and seating at the bar. During the renovation, the original bar was saved and restored.
Once the restaurant is open, Giant Oaks will occupy 9,000 square feet of the 18,000-square-foot building.
Siyufy said a chef and front end manager are lined up for a soft opening in January. The official opening is planned for February.
“I think we have a good team,” he said.
For the time being, the name will be the Restaurant at Giant Oaks Winery.
The tasting room, which offers live entertainment Thursday through Sunday, will continue to offer its current menu of appetizers and pizza, while the restaurant will have a separate menu.
Siyufy said the restaurant menu will feature 10 to 12 dishes including pasta, a filet, and a fish selection with three to five seasonal offerings changing quarterly, and a prime rib special twice a month on Saturdays.
Two Sundays a month, Siyufy said they are considering offering a Sunday brunch with live entertainment.
The casual restaurant will be first come, first serve, and patrons will have the option to wait in the tasting room until their table is ready.
Siyufy said the eatery will start out as BYOB, with a corkage fee for any outside wine brought into the restaurant. There is no corkage fee for the Giant Oaks’ brand wine.
Hours of operation will be the same as the winery, with dinner ending at 9 p.m. Siyufy said he plans to offer lunch within the first 90 days after opening.
In the spring, he plans for al fresco dining outside with tables on the sidewalk.
As for the cost, he said: “We want to keep prices reasonable and attractive for a typical family.”