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In time, however, both a restaurant and bowling will return to the space, the developer said.

Sean Mott, owner of the Hilltop and Cedar House, confirmed their closure on Facebook last week. When reached by мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼, he declined further comment.

Mott said in his post that the restaurant and bowling alley should remain open until Sunday, Nov. 14, but that plan could change depending on the availability of his staff. On Sunday, Skaneateles entrepreneur Adam Weitsman  on Facebook that he would hire the staff of the "legendary venue" and pay them their full wages "until I find a breakfast venue of mine for all of them to work at." Weitsman and his wife, Kim, are the owners of The Krebs and the Elephant and the Dove restaurants in the lakeside village.

In his post, Mott thanked the staff, many of whom have worked at the Hilltop for decades. He also thanked his family and his customers for their support.

"We have been blessed to be a part of this community for almost 32 years," he said. "Feel free to stop in over the next few weeks and say thank you to our staff for their years of dedication and service to our community. But please, please, please be kind to them and understand that they have been asked a lot of questions already that they didn't have the answer to. This has been a very difficult time for them. We understand everyone is very passionate and may be sad that things are changing. We understand, because we all are too."

The buyer of the West Genesee Street restaurant and bowling alley is Woodbine Hospitality Group. The Syracuse developer is no stranger to the Skaneateles area: It purchased the Skaneateles Suites bungalows and boutique hotel last April, and is building an 88-room hotel across from Hillrom, previously Welch Allyn, on State Street Road.

Tom Fernandez, Woodbine's chief operating officer and a resident of the village, told мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼ on Monday that the developer hopes to close on the purchase soon. It made its offer to Mott after seeing the Hilltop and Cedar House listed by a real estate broker. Woodbine has tried to keep the purchase quiet, Fernandez said, per Mott's wishes.

"He feels his staff is his family. He has huge respect and a following at that place, and he should — he's a very hard worker and he's done amazing things," Fernandez said. "So I understand."

Fernandez said Woodbine is planning an "adaptive reuse" of the building that will add efficiency hotel rooms and a family game area to the restaurant and bowling alley.

The alley will be split in two, with lanes remaining on one half and the other offering games like foosball, ping pong, shuffleboard and more. The restaurant, Woodbine's "main focus," will have close to 100 seats and a bar, possibly with craft beer. Its food will include "funky takes on a diner menu," Fernandez said, and classic items customers have been enjoying at the Hilltop for years. 

"The big takeaway is that there is still going to be a restaurant and there is still going to be bowling," he said.

The biggest change, however, will be the addition of a second floor to the front of the building. The new façade will mimic those of the village of Skaneateles, Fernandez said, and on that second floor will be 20 to 25 efficiency hotel rooms for extended or one-night stays. They will complement Woodbine's State Street Road hotel, which has no efficiency rooms planned.

Fernandez stressed that the developer's project is subject to change. Among other variables, its requires the approval of the town of Skaneateles planning board, which discussed Woodbine's purchase and plans at its Oct. 19 meeting. For that reason the developer has no firm timetable for the project, but Fernandez said a year to 18 months would be ideal.

Woodbine also doesn't have a name for the project. Fernandez said the developer might reach out to the community for feedback, acknowledging that it will always be known by some as the Hilltop.

"You're not going to walk in and have the exact same feeling, but I think what we're going to do is a homage to what's there now, and hopefully it will keep that feeling close," he said.