The Ladies of Laci's
Laura Serway and Cindy Seymour of Laci's Tapas Bar
By Jill Comoletti
Cindy Seymour stands behind the bar and dries another glass. She wears a cherry-colored shirt with black buttons, her name emblazoned across the right side of her chest in bright italic script. A beige baseball cap obscures her short wheat-colored hair. She speaks with her twinkling eyes transfixed on her wife, Laura Serway, who sits across the bar. “We have laughed for 33 years because she’s so damn funny,” Seymour says, smiling at Serway. “We go to bed laughing and we wake up laughing.” Serway smiles back, reaching her hand behind her dark oval glasses to wipe her eyes. “We have some fun together,” she says, her voice wobbling with emotion.
Serway and Seymour’s love for each other is evident in the welcoming atmosphere of their restaurant, Laci’s Tapas Bar (spelled with the first two letters of each of their first names), in the Hawley-Green neighborhood of Syracuse. The historic building is alive with tasteful teardrop lights, polka-dot curtains, and colorful artwork featuring wine bottles and various kitchen utensils. Tuesday through Saturday, the restaurant is packed with customers, many of them regulars whom Serway and Seymour know by name. “The way we put it is, five days a week we go out to dinner with our friends,” Seymour says.
“Then on Sunday and Monday, we’re relaxing. We’ll be on opposite ends of the house,” Serway says. “That’s just what we do, and we respect that from each other.”
After purchasing the restaurant, the couple settled on the idea of serving tapas, small dishes meant for sharing. “We like to practice what we preach, and we try to eat a little less at every meal,” Serway says. “So we tried to figure out how to eat healthier and share. I’ve never been a good sharer until this venture.”
Seymour and Serway’s first joint food venture was Laci’s Coffee Café at the Central New York Regional Market. “I love sitting around having coffee with friends. I just don’t want them at my house,” Seymour says with a laugh. “We opened up this little café so we could drink coffee with people all day.” Though Seymour and Serway have moved on, the coffee shop still exists at the market under its new name, Bohemian Beans. The couple next opened a café at the Palace Theater, then Laci’s Burger Joint on James Street, both of which are now closed. In 2010, they opened Laci’s Tapas Bar. “I got the food bug,” Seymour says. “Different people come in every day, and they are always happy to see you because they’re hungry. It’s really good, always having people happy to see you.”
Much of this happiness likely stems from the hospitality at Laci’s, which the couple feels sets them apart from other restaurants in Syracuse. Both Serway and Seymour are an active part of the restaurant every night. “You’ll see us on the floor, you’ll hear us on the floor, you’ll have fun with us on the floor. It’s what we do,” Serway says. The two women also pride themselves on their talented staff members, some of whom have been working at Laci’s since it opened four years ago.
Serway and Seymour went into business with a strategic plan: Seymour will make things work, and Serway will make them look pretty. As a former police officer, Seymour is constantly looking for the next thing to fix around the restaurant—it’s how her mind operates. Serway, who has a background in marketing, is always trying to make the restaurant look beautiful and get the word out about their business. Dividing the restaurant responsibilities between them allows the couple to tackle the challenges of managing their venture. “We’re both Type A personalities. We’re both very driven for success, but in different ways,” Serway says, smiling at Seymour.
“I like to say that she’s Type A and I’m Type A Minus, because a lot of things don’t matter to me,” Seymour says with a shrug. “But if it matters to me, I’m passionate about it.”
One thing both women are equally passionate about is giving back to the community that helps them succeed. When the couple first bought their building in Hawley-Green, they spent weeks renovating its exterior. One day, while taking a walk around their neighborhood, Serway and Seymour noticed three boarded-up houses. They realized that to have Laci’s Tapas Bar succeed, they needed to clean up their neighborhood as well. The couple bought all three properties and renovated two of them for use by other women entrepreneurs. Esther Houston operates her bakery 83 and Company out of one of the spaces, and Jamila Cross runs Fresh Nail Lounge and Spa at another. “It’s so important to help and support others, and those two are really successful so far,” Serway says. The third property, which is still under construction, will be a residential building. In addition, the couple plans to open a lunch restaurant, Laci's Lunchbox, in the same building as 83 and Company.
Serway and Seymour also give back to their community in smaller ways. A few weekends ago, the couple spent three hours picking up trash in Hawley-Green. “People understand that we care, and that we want to make a difference, and that we do make a difference,” Serway says. “Some people can talk it, but we walk it.”
Seymour nods. “Even our staff was like, ‘You were out picking up trash?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, all day. Where were you?’”
Their generosity even extends as far as Queens, New York. During Hurricane Sandy, Serway and Seymour facilitated a Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds of survivors. Seymour was already in the city helping with volunteer efforts, and Serway met her with food. “I brought 23 cooked turkeys down to her. I rented a vehicle to bring them down, I built a shelf to put them on, and I drove straight through to New York and put them right back in the oven,” Serway says. Seymour had sent out a Facebook post asking for members of the Syracuse community to contribute food and goods as well, and the response was overwhelming. “Before I left, this parking lot was full,” Serway says, gesturing out the window. “It looked like a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through!” calls Seymour from the utility closet.
Highlighting the couple’s community accomplishments is what Serway calls the Hall of Fame—a collection of framed awards and press mentions on the wall by the back staircase at Laci’s. On October 29, a new award appeared on that wall: the Wegmans Community Visionary Award. Serway and Seymour are the first recipients.
After all they’ve achieved, Seymour and Serway say the most rewarding part of running Laci’s Tapas Bar together is seeing their relationship grow. Though some business partners watch their relationships implode after pursuing a venture together, Serway says she and Seymour are the opposite. “The baseline has to be the respect and the love,” she says.
Three years ago, Mayor Stephanie Miner married Seymour and Serway after more than thirty years of being in love. “We say it all the time: the only thing we’re married to is each other,” Seymour says as she dries another glass. “If we had to walk away from the business tomorrow to maintain our relationship, we would.” Serway smiles as her wife prepares the bar for another busy night.
Laci's Tapas Bar
304 Hawley Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13203
www.lacistapasbar.com
Serway and Seymour’s love for each other is evident in the welcoming atmosphere of their restaurant, Laci’s Tapas Bar (spelled with the first two letters of each of their first names), in the Hawley-Green neighborhood of Syracuse. The historic building is alive with tasteful teardrop lights, polka-dot curtains, and colorful artwork featuring wine bottles and various kitchen utensils. Tuesday through Saturday, the restaurant is packed with customers, many of them regulars whom Serway and Seymour know by name. “The way we put it is, five days a week we go out to dinner with our friends,” Seymour says.
“Then on Sunday and Monday, we’re relaxing. We’ll be on opposite ends of the house,” Serway says. “That’s just what we do, and we respect that from each other.”
After purchasing the restaurant, the couple settled on the idea of serving tapas, small dishes meant for sharing. “We like to practice what we preach, and we try to eat a little less at every meal,” Serway says. “So we tried to figure out how to eat healthier and share. I’ve never been a good sharer until this venture.”
Seymour and Serway’s first joint food venture was Laci’s Coffee Café at the Central New York Regional Market. “I love sitting around having coffee with friends. I just don’t want them at my house,” Seymour says with a laugh. “We opened up this little café so we could drink coffee with people all day.” Though Seymour and Serway have moved on, the coffee shop still exists at the market under its new name, Bohemian Beans. The couple next opened a café at the Palace Theater, then Laci’s Burger Joint on James Street, both of which are now closed. In 2010, they opened Laci’s Tapas Bar. “I got the food bug,” Seymour says. “Different people come in every day, and they are always happy to see you because they’re hungry. It’s really good, always having people happy to see you.”
Much of this happiness likely stems from the hospitality at Laci’s, which the couple feels sets them apart from other restaurants in Syracuse. Both Serway and Seymour are an active part of the restaurant every night. “You’ll see us on the floor, you’ll hear us on the floor, you’ll have fun with us on the floor. It’s what we do,” Serway says. The two women also pride themselves on their talented staff members, some of whom have been working at Laci’s since it opened four years ago.
Serway and Seymour went into business with a strategic plan: Seymour will make things work, and Serway will make them look pretty. As a former police officer, Seymour is constantly looking for the next thing to fix around the restaurant—it’s how her mind operates. Serway, who has a background in marketing, is always trying to make the restaurant look beautiful and get the word out about their business. Dividing the restaurant responsibilities between them allows the couple to tackle the challenges of managing their venture. “We’re both Type A personalities. We’re both very driven for success, but in different ways,” Serway says, smiling at Seymour.
“I like to say that she’s Type A and I’m Type A Minus, because a lot of things don’t matter to me,” Seymour says with a shrug. “But if it matters to me, I’m passionate about it.”
One thing both women are equally passionate about is giving back to the community that helps them succeed. When the couple first bought their building in Hawley-Green, they spent weeks renovating its exterior. One day, while taking a walk around their neighborhood, Serway and Seymour noticed three boarded-up houses. They realized that to have Laci’s Tapas Bar succeed, they needed to clean up their neighborhood as well. The couple bought all three properties and renovated two of them for use by other women entrepreneurs. Esther Houston operates her bakery 83 and Company out of one of the spaces, and Jamila Cross runs Fresh Nail Lounge and Spa at another. “It’s so important to help and support others, and those two are really successful so far,” Serway says. The third property, which is still under construction, will be a residential building. In addition, the couple plans to open a lunch restaurant, Laci's Lunchbox, in the same building as 83 and Company.
Serway and Seymour also give back to their community in smaller ways. A few weekends ago, the couple spent three hours picking up trash in Hawley-Green. “People understand that we care, and that we want to make a difference, and that we do make a difference,” Serway says. “Some people can talk it, but we walk it.”
Seymour nods. “Even our staff was like, ‘You were out picking up trash?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, all day. Where were you?’”
Their generosity even extends as far as Queens, New York. During Hurricane Sandy, Serway and Seymour facilitated a Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds of survivors. Seymour was already in the city helping with volunteer efforts, and Serway met her with food. “I brought 23 cooked turkeys down to her. I rented a vehicle to bring them down, I built a shelf to put them on, and I drove straight through to New York and put them right back in the oven,” Serway says. Seymour had sent out a Facebook post asking for members of the Syracuse community to contribute food and goods as well, and the response was overwhelming. “Before I left, this parking lot was full,” Serway says, gesturing out the window. “It looked like a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through!” calls Seymour from the utility closet.
Highlighting the couple’s community accomplishments is what Serway calls the Hall of Fame—a collection of framed awards and press mentions on the wall by the back staircase at Laci’s. On October 29, a new award appeared on that wall: the Wegmans Community Visionary Award. Serway and Seymour are the first recipients.
After all they’ve achieved, Seymour and Serway say the most rewarding part of running Laci’s Tapas Bar together is seeing their relationship grow. Though some business partners watch their relationships implode after pursuing a venture together, Serway says she and Seymour are the opposite. “The baseline has to be the respect and the love,” she says.
Three years ago, Mayor Stephanie Miner married Seymour and Serway after more than thirty years of being in love. “We say it all the time: the only thing we’re married to is each other,” Seymour says as she dries another glass. “If we had to walk away from the business tomorrow to maintain our relationship, we would.” Serway smiles as her wife prepares the bar for another busy night.
Laci's Tapas Bar
304 Hawley Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13203
www.lacistapasbar.com