Silver Swan sale not a swan song for longtime Cuyahoga Falls establishment

For only the third time in its nearly 80-year history, The Silver Swan, a Front Street fixture in Cuyahoga Falls, will change owners.

Mike and Laura Grguric, also from Cuyahoga Falls, purchased The Silver Swan earlier this year. The restaurant is currently closed for renovations but is scheduled to reopen sometime in late summer as Ryes and Shine.

While the Grgurics may be new to the Swan, they are not new to owning local businesses. The husband and wife team also own Doodle Drive-In on Steels Corners Road, and Clutch Lanes and Sports Center on State Road.

Laura said she and Mike used to own around 10 veterinary clinics, including Valley Animal Hospital on Merriman Road in Akron. They still own Cuyahoga Valley Veterinary Clinic in Richfield, but sold the others in 2020 so they could give back to the community by revitalizing local businesses.

Laura said Mike had always wanted to own a breakfast place, and was the one to propose purchasing The Silver Swan. Laura said she was at first skeptical but quickly changed her mind once she saw the Swan.

How the Swan got its start

The Swan was built by the Nastas family in 1945, said Carrie Hummel Snyder, whose family owned the restaurant for the past 40 years. Willard Nastas and his wife, Ann, took over operations in the late 1940s or 1950s when his father died.

"Willard had never intended to be a bar owner," Snyder said in an interview at the restaurant. "He had wanted to be a musician. That's why you see the stage here."

The stage has allowed the Swan to have open mics, music entertainment and other activities.

Both Willard, a World War II veteran, and Ann were bartenders, Snyder said. They didn't have any children, although they had several nieces and nephews.

Jim and Kathy Hummel, Snyder's parents, bought the Swan in 1983, Snyder said. Jim Hummel at the time also owned Falls Coffee Shop — which is now Flury's Cafe on Front Street.

One of the changes the Hummels made was to add breakfast offerings starting at $2.50, Snyder said. Willard Nastas never offered a breakfast menu, something Snyder said she suspected was a generational thing.

"Back then, breakfast in general just wasn't offered," Snyder said. "That was typically a meal that was prepared at home, with family."

Snyder said she and her brother, Fred, worked at the Swan starting in middle school.

"Fred was at the Swan full time by the mid-2000s," Snyder said. "I continued working on Saturdays until about 10 years ago."

Although she didn't need to work there, Snyder said being at the Swan allowed her to spend time with family.

"It's a labor of love," Snyder said of running a restaurant. "My dad never took a vacation. It's not how it looks on TV."

In fact, the Swan is what brought Snyder and her husband, Greg, together. The restaurant had a pool table, and they met while playing pool. Greg even proposed to her at the restaurant.

Jim Hummel died on Dec. 29, 2015. Then, when Fred died nearly a year ago on July 25, the family decided to close The Silver Swan.

"Our family had it for 40 years," Snyder said. "I wish Mike and Laura 40 years of success."

Ryes and Shine the dawn of a new era for restaurant

Laura Grguric said that although the restaurant will have a new name and new management, regulars to the Swan will still see many of their favorite menu items, perhaps with a twist. The Grgurics plan to offer more plant-based and gluten-free menu items. They also plan to emphasize bourbon offerings, from a selection of drinks to food options infused with bourbon. One highlight will include a bourbon-infused bananas foster French toast.

Rachel Jernigan, of Kent, who will serve as the new restaurant's general manager and brings about 30 years of bartending experience, said drink flights also are planned. This could include mimosas flights and bourbon flights.

But will the new owners keep open mic nights?

"Every time we go out, many people have asked about the open mics," Laura said, adding that yes, open mic nights will return.

Another planned feature, Laura said, will be an open patio space for outdoor dining and gatherings.

"We will have something for everyone and welcoming to everyone," Jernigan said.

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The Silver Swan will reopen as Ryes and Shine in Cuyahoga Falls