VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: How a local Syracuse bar is serving up community
Margaret McCann: Located right down the street from Syracuse University, Harvey’s Garden offers Central New Yorkers a place to kick back and relax while enjoying craft beers and cocktails. Former Syracuse common councilor Mike Greene says that he found the empty warehouse space and just knew he had to transform it.
Mike Greene: In my work on the council, I worked with a lot of the food truck operators. I wanted there to be a food truck park, so I tried to get different people to come and build one, and no one did. So, I built it myself.
McCann: The space offers a unique self-serve beer wall that customers can use to try different ciders, beers and IPAs.
Greene: There are 24 taps, and the taps are always rotating. So, as soon as one kicks, we add something new and fresh, We do make an effort to seek out some of the local breweries that don’t distribute. We’ll just directly buy from them.
McCann: Greene says that Harvey’s 6,000-ft space is perfect for all kinds of events, which sets it apart from its competitors.
Greene: We’ve had everything from engagement parties, first birthday parties, we’ve had funerals in here. We embrace different events and different milestones in people’s lives. This can be a place where they can come and do it.
McCann: Because of how close it is to the university, people may think that Harvey’s is just some college bar. However, Harvey’s is known for bringing a sense of community to Syracuse that Marshall Street just can’t beat. This upcoming Saturday, Harvey’s is hosting its Holiday Market, an event where local businesses get the platform to sell their specialty to Harvey’s customers.
Greene: I think it’s just the diversity and the different experiences of people in the community, and you kind of bring that in together where there’s different craft owners selling totally different things. It’s just really is a good way to kind of experience a small slice of the community.
McCann: In addition to their monthly themed events, Harvey’s also celebrates local cuisine by hosting food trucks from the area. Harvey’s cast of food trucks not only allows customers to try new things, but they also bring a certain cultural inclusivity to the space.
Greene: If you look at our food truck rotation, a lot of them will be ethnic food or people that are from the community. This is a good way for people to experience their food that may otherwise not have.
McCann: In true Central New York fashion, Harvey’s knows that nothing quite builds community more than Bill’s Mafia. The venue hosts Buffalo Bills watch parties every time the team is playing, creating a space for customers to come in and celebrate game day with the community.
Greene: We’ve had a couple of different people that have just come in because they’re Bills fans, and they come in by themselves. All of a sudden, they make 20 new friends, and they’re drinking together and having a great time. To the extent that we’re able to kind of bring different people together, that’s been really fun.
McCann: Greene says that they do everything they can to listen to the residents of Syracuse in order to grow with and around the community.
Greene: We hope to be a place that, you know, it’s the community’s backyard.
McCann: Reporting in Syracuse for NCC News, I’m Margaret McCann.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Harvey’s Garden, which opened in 2023, is a unique and unexpected gem in the University Hill neighborhood. The space, an old abandoned warehouse, was transformed by former Syracuse common councilor Mike Greene after he found it in his work travels.
“I helped to build the dog park, which is next door to here, and, in traveling around, I came by this warehouse, which was vacant…I wanted there to be a food truck park, so I tried to get different people to come and build one, and no one did, so I built it myself,” Greene said.
The food trucks Greene and his team at Harvey’s choose usually include local and ethnic cuisines, which helps the culinary artists go from food trucks into full-on storefronts. Greene said that it is a fantastic way to both support small businesses and get a taste of the local community.
Harvey’s offers customers a 24-tap self-serve beer wall, the first of its kind in Syracuse. Greene said that the taps are always changing, so Harvey’s regulars never have to taste the same thing twice. The wall features national brands, as well as locally-sourced options.
“We do make an effort to seek out some of the local breweries…Right now, we have Heritage Hill on there, ONCO, some of those local Central New York breweries,” Greene said.
Harvey’s doesn’t just offer food and drink, though. The space has become a center for community for Syracuse residents. Events of all kinds and sizes are encouraged, with large-scale parties happening at least five to six times a week.
One event that’s always sure to draw a crowd in is Harvey’s Buffalo Bills watch parties. The space hosts a community gathering every time the Bills are playing, complete with a DJ and different food trucks.
“We’ve had a couple of different people that have just come in because they’re Bills fans, and they’ll come in by themselves,” Greene said. “Then, all of a sudden, they’ll make 20 new friends… to the extent that we’re able to kind of bring different people together. That’s been really fun.”
Harvey’s is not just a space for drinking and eating. Instead, it’s a place where communities can come together and bond over the things that make them Central New Yorkers. If you are interested in booking an event at Harvey’s, please reach out through their event form.