FACTORYVILLE, Pa. — Old friends of the Vanko family returned to Gin's Tavern near Factoryville for the opening day of the eatery they have grown to love for more than six decades.
"My first experience with this, with Gin's, was when his father Tony owned it in the late '60s, and I would come with my father and watch the Friday night fights," said Dick Brauer, Tunkannock.
"I was mayor of Scranton when I first met Mark, and we've been friends ever since. That's a long time ago. I'm here today only because I think so much of him, and I'm impressed by his whole family," said Eugene Peters, Scranton.
Mark Vanko took over his family business in the late 60s and has been running it ever since alongside his entire family.
But in May of 2023, everything the family built burned to the ground.
A year later, Mark Vanko and his family are back to welcome those old friends, "For everybody, even our employees, our new employees, our old employees. It's a dream come true," he said.
It is a dream that picked up where it left off with the same charming saying passed down from Mark's parents that now greets you when you walk through the doors: 'You're a stranger but once.'
"Because you really are. Tried to make it more appealing to all crowds, all generations. Welcoming everybody with the same. We wanted to keep the same close-knit, hometown feeling," said Sandy Kostick, manager and daughter of owner.
And with that same hometown feeling came Gin's Tavern famous mozzarella sticks homemade, like everything else at Gin's Tavern.
"You eat, sleep, and drink it, and it's our life, and moving forward, it will be my kid's life and my grandchildren's life," said Kostick.
An overwhelming day for the family, in the best way possible they say.
"It's emotional, but in a fun, positive way, and it's really incredible to see how many people truly loved Gin's, and it makes us really happy. There will be some bumps in the road. I mean, we've been out of practice for a year and a half, so I hope everybody is patient with us and will come and enjoy our new establishment," said Ashley Schylkoski, bartender and granddaughter of owner.
For generations to come.