Industry takes diners back in time

“I fell into the restaurant business later in life,” said Steve Scro. “I love people, collecting hard-to-find and unique pieces and good food, and the combination came together in Industry.”

Sparta residents Steve and Rachael Scro opened Industry Kitchen & Bar in July 2022. It’s their second restaurant, with the first, Mohawk House, located a short buzz up Route 15.

At Mohawk House, diners indulge in Tomahawk steaks while taking in the restaurant’s sprawling country estate. Industry - Mohawk House’s hip, younger sister - holds the same standards in quality and service but with a casual menu and eclectic dining experience.

From old-fashioned time clocks to original phone booths to artifacts from the booming Franklin zinc mines, Industry offers diners the opportunity to travel back in time while indulging in tuna tartare tacos or truffle short rib grilled cheese.

Eating in a museum

Industry displays countless historical pieces that have been repurposed and incorporated into the restaurant’s flowing, open space with floor-to-ceiling windows and exposed metal piping on the plafond.

The collection, featuring countless pieces from Industrial-era America, is museum-worthy.

“They don’t make things like this anymore,” Scro said. “We have real, authentic wood and antiques that are a testament to a time when building relationships was about hard work using innovative equipment and materials, and a hand shake and your word was your bond.”

Patrons sip espresso martinis and craft beer at Industry’s 5,000-pound steel bar, which came from an old mill in Bethlehem, Pa. It zigzags its way along the back portion of the space.

On the other side of the restaurant, tables sit on bases of varying historic manufacturing devices; one is hoisted on an old orange factory cart, while another can be raised with an antique lever to become a high-top.

Small yellow lights adorn the side wall; they once illuminated the center of a carousel. The list goes on. Each and every piece in Industry has a story.

Where old is new

When antique-hunting, New Jersey is high on Scro’s list, but he does have pieces from all over. In a local vein, he has an original sign from Culvers Lake in Newton advertising “Culvermere, The Real Vacation.”

“Some things I’ve had my eyes on for years and have finally been able to obtain from the original source. When the people who sold them to me come to Industry and see how we’ve displayed and reinvented them, they often get tears in their eyes,” he said. “The aim is to preserve history. The journeys I go on to pick up pieces are adventures where I meet and learn about people, and I make sure everything I have is the real McCoy.”

There are countless pieces on display and more to come, including an old-fashioned traffic light, which soon will adorn the restaurant’s exterior.

“When the light’s green, it’s open, and when it’s red, it’s closed,” Scro said.

There are too many pieces that underscore America’s industrial history to mention at Industry. From wooden and metal vintage signs to wrought-iron anvils to all of the many different lighting fixtures that combine in harmonious glow, Industry is about food, but it’s also a gathering of archives and a one-of-a-kind experience.

“You envision it, you can make it happen,” Scro said. “To compete in this industry, you have to be creative and innovative.”