Czech Pleeze opened in February to great success, fueled by the novelty of its niche dishes warming enough to fight away the winter cold. The restaurant kept the buzz going throughout the summer with their delicious sandwiches and traditional American diner fare.
“I wanted to take my destiny into my own hands,” said Dan McLarney, owner of the restaurant. “I knew that I could make $10 an hour as a graphic designer and worry every day about getting laid off because I said the wrong thing to my boss, or I could work 80 hours a week, pour my blood and sweat into it and live on my own terms.”
Influenced by his upbringing in a predominately Czech, Slovak and Polish neighborhood in Binghamton, McLarney realized that most of what he knew could be attributed to his Eastern European roots. McLarney sold his house to fund the creation of Czech Pleeze, with no help from loans or city funding. He and his small staff started building hype in the area as soon as renovation of the Robinson Street site began, posting signs such as “Ethnic cuisine coming soon,” and “Traditional Czech dining,” which piqued the curiosity of passers-by. The goal was to play on two demographics; those who would crave Czech food out of childhood nostalgia, and those who would have absolutely no idea what Czech food tasted like, but would be willing to explore new cuisine.
“Our demographic is a lot of the older population in Binghamton with an Eastern European background — people who grew up eating holubki and goulash and kolachki and know they can’t find it anywhere else,” McLarney said.
But Czech Pleeze has also been attracting young college students, those eager to try something new and drawn in by the surprisingly low prices.
The actual menu of Czech Pleeze is perfectly balanced, with American classics like subs and mac and cheese mixed with a diverse array of traditional Czech dishes like pirohi (pasta pockets stuffed with cabbage or cheese and potato, buttered and sautéed) and holubki (a delicious blend of seasoned beef and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves and served in a sauerkraut and tomato sauce, made from a recipe passed down from McLarney’s mother). In addition to these entrées, daily dinner specials like goulash and stuffed green peppers are available, as well as sides, such as halushka (egg noodles and buttered onions and cabbage) and potato salad.
Good food with cultural significance, served by members of the community at prices that seem too low to be true: that’s the ethos behind Czech Pleeze. People are taking their destinies into their own hands, and it is helping to build a better Binghamton.
“That’s why I started up this place,” McLarney said. “I could lose all my money working for someone else, or I could lose it under my own terms.”
The rest is up to fate.
Czech Pleeze is located at 223 Robinson Street in Downtown Binghamton. Visit the website, czechpleeze.com, or Facebook page for more information on the eatery.