The Albany restaurant group behind Cafe Madison and Junior's Bar & Grill has taken over the former Swifty's Pub space at 95 Everett Road in Colonie, signing a lease and starting renovations on a building that's sat empty since April. What will actually open there, though, is still up in the air.
BMT Hospitality has signed a lease for the Everett Road property and begun renovating the building, according to John Dollard, the company's director of restaurants, as reported by the Times Union. Dollard told the paper that BMT has not yet decided whether the space will become another Junior's Bar & Grill or something new entirely. That's a notable shift from an earlier report: an October Albany Business Review item said BMT planned to open a Junior's Bar and Grill at the site, though that account carries less certainty than the company's own current statement to the Times Union.
Swifty's Restaurant & Pub closed abruptly at the Colonie location in April, part of a broader shutdown that saw all three Swifty's locations — in Colonie, Utica and Delmar — close permanently this year. The chain was seized in December for roughly $2.2 million in unpaid sales and withholding taxes. The Everett Road building had sat vacant since the April closure before BMT moved in.
A Growing Albany Restaurant Empire
BMT Hospitality is no stranger to expansion. The company already runs Junior's locations in Albany, Guilderland and North Greenbush, along with Cafe Madison — its third location opened in East Greenbush in November 2025 — plus Albany Ale & Oyster, Little City Luncheonette, Madison Pourhouse and Spinner's, all in Albany. Brian Viglucci serves as BMT's co-founder and managing partner, while Dollard oversees operational and logistical duties for the group.
On its own website, BMT Hospitality says it operates 12 establishments within Albany, founded by three owners who were all born and raised in the city. The company says its owners began opening restaurants in their hometown to help strengthen its sense of community.
East Greenbush Offers a Preview of Demand
If the Everett Road location does end up as a Junior's, BMT's track record suggests it could draw a crowd fast. The chain's fourth Junior's Bar & Grill opened in East Greenbush on May 27, 2025, with seating for nearly 200 and a bar that seats 24. Even with limited promotion, the opening attracted roughly 200 customers on its first day and 350 the next, per the Times Union's earlier reporting. A third Cafe Madison location opened next door to that East Greenbush Junior's, having been slated to debut by September 1, 2025.
For now, Colonie residents will have to wait to see what BMT ultimately builds at 95 Everett Road. The company has confirmed the lease and the renovation work, but has stopped short of locking in a concept or a timeline for opening day.
