John, proprietor since 1982 is a Galway native and Saratoga resident who started working in restaurants at the age of 15. After graduating from Plattsburgh University with a Bachelor of Education, he quickly realized his entrepreneurial spirit was his true passion and gift. His first business venture was one of Saratoga’s original vending businesses, “Frankly Speaking“ a hot dog cart that was located downtown on Broadway in the late 1970's.

In the 1980’s John moved to Coco Beach, Florida to work in the corporate restaurant industry. He returned to Saratoga Springs in the early 80’s and worked as a bartender in many different restaurants on Broadway, Barkley’s, The Green Parrot, and the Ramada Inn. While growing his restaurant experience he also owned and managed two successful storage companies, Storage Unlimited and AIA Storage where he learned crucial managerial skills. But it was his experience bartending in local hot spots that helped him to discover his innate ability and love for managing restaurants and bars.

In the fall of 1982 the opportunity to own Gaffney’s came along and it was a natural path and transition for him to take. As Gaffney’s began to grow his business cravings didn’t stop there. In 1986 he and business partner David Eger established a water company formerly know as Excelsior Springs which was later sold to Vermont Pure in 1996.

Whilst John’s entrepreneurial interests are many, there has always been one constant, Gaffneys. For John it has been a wonderful and certainly never boring journey that has evolved over the last 27years. And the best part of the journey is, it is still continuing…