PLAINS TWP. — A pair of longtime friends — a chef and a contractor — are reopening the former Dominick’s Cafe, a popular bar and restaurant in the Hudson section of Plains Twp.
Chris Mullin and business partner Dan Baranowski are ready to launch The Gallery Casual Dining and Cocktails at 20 School St.
The grand opening is 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday. Reservations are suggested by messaging the eatery’s Facebook page.
“We are all in at this point. We are extremely excited. We want to create it like the neighborhood restaurant that Dominick’s was and elevate it,” said Mullin, who is an executive chef at Glenmaura National Golf Club in Moosic.
Dominick’s served the community for about 75 years until it was sold in 2023 and briefly opened as Skylight Bar Restaurant.
The Gallery Casual Dining and Cocktails on 20 School Street in Plains Twp. on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Chris Mullin, an executive chef at Glenmaura National Golf Club, and a business partner are opening The Gallery restaurant at the former location of Dominick’s Cafe in Plains Twp. (Submitted)
The Gallery Casual Dining and Cocktails on 20 School Street in Plains Twp. on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Staff of The Gallery restaurant in Plains Twp. recently hosted a soft opening ahead of Thursday’s grand opening. (Submitted)
The Gallery Casual Dining and Cocktails on 20 School Street in Plains Twp. on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Staff of The Gallery restaurant in Plains Twp. recently hosted a soft opening ahead of Thursday’s grand opening. (Submitted)
The new owners pledge to continue the legacy of Dominick’s in a message on the restaurant’s website.
“While The Gallery brings a fresh new vision to this historic space, we honor the legacy of those who came before us by continuing to provide exceptional food, warm hospitality, and a welcoming space for the community to enjoy,” the message said.
Mullin, of Wilkes-Barre, and Baranowski, of Bear Creek, are both 41. Both natives of Ashley, they graduated from Hanover Area High School in 2002.
“We figured I’m a chef, he’s a contractor. We could do some renovations and open a restaurant,” Mullin said.
They built a 50-foot by 25-foot pavilion behind the business for outdoor events.
The Gallery’s menu features “casual fine dining” options with a variety of small plates, pastas and entrees such as pan-roasted salmon and wild shrimp, prime pork chop calabrese, and hand-cut filet mignon.
Mullin worked at the Blakeslee Inn in the Poconos for 12 years prior to joining the Glenmaura National Golf Club in Moosic. He plans to continue working at the golf club.
The restaurant hosted a soft opening earlier this week to prepare for Thursday.
“It was great. We got some rave reviews,” Mullin said