CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Opening a restaurant is not easy, pandemic or not. 

KiX on Main is all about great food, good company, and an awesome location on Main Street in Canandaigua.

When the former Gleason’s at the corner of Main and Bristol streets went up for sale, Canandaigua native and executive chef, Xan Bacon and his fiancée Kim Vakiener, who is also from Canandaigua, knew it was the perfect spot to open Kix on Main.

“Hopefully this is my last stop in our best stop," said Xan Bacon. "It’s been a long and trying road but we are here and excited to be here. I couldn’t have a better partner in my fiancé Kim and we are truly excited. We have been in Canandaigua for 50 years and there are some great restaurants downtown and we are trying to be one of them.“

Bacon owned Sam’s on the Corner and also helped open Nolan‘s. The kitchen is his happy place and he's darn good at it. He’s ready to cook up his family favorites like Chicken French. 

"My father Warren taught me this recipe years ago," said Bacon. "It's egg-washed chicken. We use sherry and Heron Hill Chardonnay."

The KiX menu is what Vakiener describes as "new American”. There are “Sammiches” to “Features." The dishes are meant for sharing. There's rooftop dining that has quite possibly the best view of downtown Canandaigua. The space was nearly move-in-ready. The former owner, Patrick Gleason, remodeled it from top to bottom. There are exposed brick, wood, and leather accents.

“We are so thankful for the support from our family and friends and people who have encouraged us to move forward with our dreams even though we are in a pandemic," said Kim Vakiener. "I think people are hopeful that things will eventually be better. We are hopeful that we can be a nice addition to the already wonderful restaurants that are already here in Canandaigua. A lot of them are close friends of ours and certainly acquaintances. We can all work together to make this community better for everyone.”

The grand opening for KiX on Main is Thursday, March 18.