Former Blossom Road Pub will become a soccer bar with a new name

Dan Zambito and John Bourgeois enjoy hanging out, going out for drinks and watching soccer games.

Now they are teaming up to open a soccer bar in the former home to Blossom Road Pub, which closed at the corner of North Winton and Blossom Roads in the North Winton Village last year. The bar will get a new name before it opens in the fall.

Zambito, who grew up in Palmyra, has had a career in marketing (fun fact for longtime Rochesterians: he's the grandson of Gally Zambito, who owned Zambito's Sports Shop on North Street, followed by Culver Road). Irondequoit native Bourgeois works in sales. Both have spent time working behind the bar. After years of working for other people, they're ready to put their experience to work for themselves.

They got their keys to the place on Friday and construction began. Some of its old floors will be polished to give it the worn feel of a European pub, but new floors will be installed in a high-traffic area by the bar. The walls will get a fresh coat of paint.

The space already has several televisions, and the plan is to purchase "the biggest one we can possibly get” and add it to the back wall. "It’s going to be a lot more classy place than it was before," Zambito said.

The menu is very much a work in progress, but the initial concept is for it to touch upon the cuisines of five countries that are soccer power houses: Italy, Spain, France, Germany and England. Bar standards like burgers and wings will also make an appearance. And because European soccer games are televised early in the day, brunch will be a focus as well.

The bar menu is also in the works, but expect to see a variety of beers on draft and in bottles — everything from everyday domestic brands to local craft beers to international beers.

Zambito is a fan of the English team Arsenal while Bourgeois cheers for Manchester United. They hope they can draw fans of those clubs and more. While Rochester has several bars where soccer fans gather, they tend to draw the fans of just one team, Zambito said. "We’re going to be all encompassing.”

There's just one exception: Tottenham Hotspur fans may experience a less welcome reception. "It’s a risk we’re willing to take," Zambito said with a laugh. "We’re going to make it very clear.”

Tracy Schuhmacher is food and drink reporter. Email her at TracyS@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram, or sign up for her weekly newsletter.