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A rendering of the planned restaurant. 📸 Credit: Batavia Plan Commission memo
A vacant corner property on Main Street on that housed a neighborhood restaurant for roughly 70 years may soon be getting new life.
A public hearing was held during Batavia's Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on May 6 as the new owners seek approval to redevelop 912 Main Street (formerly home to The Elms Restaurant) into a new sit-down restaurant called The Whip.
Here's what to know:
The site's history: The property has operated as a neighborhood restaurant since the mid-1950s, most recently as The Elms, which closed in 2024. The new owners purchased the building in February 2025 with plans to bring it back as a walkable neighborhood spot.
Plan details: The project calls for renovating the existing 1,175-square-foot building and adding a 1,024-square-foot addition that includes a second-floor office. According to city documents, the owners plan to offer American fare with both indoor and outdoor seating, plus a walk-up ice cream window (which was a trademark of The Elms).
The parking situation: The zoning code requires 19 parking spaces for a restaurant and office of this size, but the site plan shows 17 (13 public, 4 employee). That six-space shortfall requires a formal deviation through the Planned Development process. A neighbor on Whipple Avenue raised concerns about overflow parking on the narrow street, but Public Works reviewed the application and found no parking restrictions currently warranted.
The redesigned exterior features standing seam metal roofing, cedar shake siding, stone veneer, and added windows along the Main Street frontage.
The plan continues to work its way through the city’s committees, and construction timelines have not yet been announced.
Read more about the planned project.
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