New owners, new plans for Cappie's in Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Cappie's Drive-In, located at 264 Route 67 in Amsterdam, is now under new ownership and is preparing to open on Friday, April 5. As the new owners, Peter Michailidis, Kevin Tiefenwerth, and Robert Dicker have some big things planned.

The previous owners of Cappie's, Donna and Craig Durinick, first announced the business was up for sale in June 2023. The restaurant was founded over 65 years ago by Donna’s aunt and uncle. She and Craig took over operations in 1997.

Cappie's Drive-In closed for the 2023 season on August 13. The Durinicks announced on January 31 that the business had been sold.

Michailidis, Tiefenwerth, and Dicker, who all have ties to and are familiar with the upstate New York area, are coming from the hospitality or real estate businesses. Michailidis said they bought Cappie's to help the business grow and usher it into its next 70 years.

"There's multiple new levels that Cappie's can be taken to and we want to help the community have something different and something that they deserve," said Michailidis. "It's going to be like Cappie's 2.0."

Cappie's is best known for its ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, and more. Michailidis said the Cappie's staples will not be going away as the menu will be staying mostly the same. They will be introducing meal specials as well.

As for what the owners have planned, Michailidis said they are planning on keeping Cappie's open year-round instead of being open seasonally. Since becoming owners, they made some minor aesthetic changes inside the building and have brand new kitchen equipment.

The owners also plan on introducing breakfast, which may start out as weekend brunch and eventually expand throughout the week. Michailidis said they do not have a schedule yet as to when breakfast will be served.

With the property being over six acres, the owners are planning on holding outdoor events such as live music or drive-in movies, although the programming isn't set yet, said Michailidis. They are also planning on buying a food and ice cream truck for private and public events in the community and for use on the Cappie's property.

The owners applied for a liquor license for Cappie's as well. This means the Cappie's dining menu will have alcoholic options if the liquor license is approved, said Michailidis. They are also planning on converting the garage on the property into a bar, pending the liquor license approval. The bar will be branded differently than Cappie's.

The business will now be accepting all forms of payment, not just cash, as well as accepting online ordering through the website. The Cappie's website is set to launch before the 2024 opening day.

"We're not overhauling this place," said Michailidis. "We're keeping Cappie's at its core. We've identified additional opportunities to break into these things that will only enhance the experience at Cappie's Drive-In."

RJ Jones, who just relocated to the Amsterdam area, has been hired as the general manager of Cappie's. He's going to be running the day-to-day operations, said Michailidis.

Cappie's is set to be open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the start of the season and may extend its hours throughout the year. If you have any ideas about programming or events at Cappie's, you can reach out to the owners in person, by email or through Facebook.

Cappie's has been holding contests, giveaways and promotions on its Facebook page to prepare for opening day. To stay up to date on all the happenings at Cappie's, you can follow the drive-in's Facebook page.