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PITTSTON &#8211; It&rsquo;s always a gamble opening a new business, and it&rsquo;s even riskier during a pandemic.
				But Kevin Kearney and Jamie Granko are confident The Banks &#8211; a Waterfront Venue banquet facility will be successful.
				The Banks, the former Cooper&rsquo;s Seafood Restaurant and Cabana at 304 Kennedy Blvd., had been a eatery staple since the early 1900s until closing the daily operations in 2016.
				Purchased in 2018 by contractor and developers Pat Hadley and Tino Ferretti, the duo saw a need for a banquet facility in Greater Pittston but there was one caveat, they were not going to run or manage the business.
				Kearney, 38, is a third generation funeral director by day, along with his wife, Natalie, owner of Petals Floral shop, Pittston, wanted to tie in all the businesses of floral, cemetery monuments, funeral services and a dining venue.
				Having a venue was the last piece of the puzzle for Kearney so the search began.
				&ldquo;My wife called me and told me one day that Pat Hadley is about to buy Coopers and he was speaking with the owners of Canteen 900 (Forty Fort) about moving into the Cooper&rsquo;s building,&rdquo; Kearney recalls. &ldquo;I called Pat and Tino and they told me they offered the space to Canteen 900 but if the deal didn&rsquo;t work out, they would call me.&rdquo;
				The Canteen 900 deal did, in fact, fall through so Kearney and Granko jumped at the chance.
				&ldquo;The following day, Jamie and I went to the Cooper&rsquo;s building and when we walked in, it was a disaster, but Jamie and I were looking around thinking, &lsquo;This is going to be awesome,&rsquo;&rdquo; Kearney said.
				Kearney and Granko signed the lease and Hadley Construction got to work with gutting the building. Progress was being made until the coronavirus slowed down construction, which caused bookings, by The Banks to be postponed until this fall.
				With the signing of the lease to run The Banks, Kearney&rsquo;s dream has been fulfilled.
				&ldquo;The National Board of Funeral Directors sent me an email stating that I&rsquo;ll be the only stand-alone funeral home with a monument company, a floral shop and a venue in the country,&rdquo; Kearney said. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t about me. I just do this because I enjoy this and I think it will be great, but I do it for my dad. I think of my dad a lot, this would have been important to him.&rdquo;
				Kearney&rsquo;s dad, Kevin, Sr., who was a second generation owner of two funeral homes in Old Forge and Scranton, passed away in December 2018 of cancer at the age of 64.
				&ldquo;Jamie (Granko) is unbelievable,&rdquo; Kearney said of his partner and longtime friend. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s an amazing worker and years ago, he started 570 Photo Booth where he was doing 140 weddings last year.&rdquo;
				After talking it over with his wife Kim, Granko, 44, recently left 570 Photo Booth to take on the full-time venture with the Kearneys at The Banks.
				Kearney feels Granko&rsquo;s expertise in venue entertainment production makes him a perfect partner with the venue.
				The Banks can accommodate up to 330 people, depending on the affair. The former cabana is now called The Glasserie can accommodate 110. The stone terrace at the rear of the building has three fire coves making it a perfect transition between the banquet hall and The Glasserie.
				The Glasserie no longer has floor to ceiling windows and screens. They have been replaced with permanent windows and all the walls have been properly insulated. It could be utilized as a standalone facility for smaller gatherings or even cocktail hour prior to a banquet event.
				The bar areas in both The Glasserie and banquet hall have remained in tact from Coopers.
				Kearney and Granko are looking forward to their partnership and to be able to host many events in the years to come.
				&ldquo;I saw this happening with the flower shop, and Natalie will tell you this, the people of Pittston are so supportive of one another, they are so supportive of their town,&rdquo; Kearney said. &ldquo;Every other couple that come in to book a wedding tells me they live close and you don&rsquo;t see that support everywhere.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;We want this to be the premiere venue,&rdquo; Kearney went on to say. &ldquo;We take so much pride in everything we do and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re shooting for.&rdquo;
				Kearney and Granko are hoping the ambiance and beauty of the Susquehanna River combined with the state-of-the-art banquet hall will appeal to those looking for a unique venue to hold a party.

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The Banks - a Waterfront Venue opens its doors in Pittston