Joshua Devlieger, House On The Hill owner, has reopened the Mayville restaurant, located at 186 S. Erie St. P-J photo by Carly Gould

MAYVILLE — The House On The Hill, located at 186 S. Erie St. in Mayville, has reopened after being closed for six years.

“I’ve been the head chef for so many other places,” said Joshua Devlieger, the new owner. “It’s cool that I get my own restaurant. And with the water stage so nearby, it’s good for business.”

The Chautauqua Lake Pops by the Shore floating stage is a place in Mayville that has attracted a lot of attention and can be heard and seen from the House On The Hill. Devlieger has made sure that the restaurant’s hours are tied to the concerts that take place.

“People can sit out on the deck and eat their food while listening to the concerts,” Devlieger said. “And we can open up the windows and doors and let the people inside hear the music too.”

The House On The Hill was named so because it actually used to be a mansion before it was turned it into a restaurant. Since then, it has changed ownerships many times until it closed six years ago. That’s when Devlieger took over. He chose to keep the name, and used his status of head chef to cook up a new and varied menu.

The laid-back owner has set a new standard for his food and service at his restaurant, utilizing a lot of teamwork along the way.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere without these guys,” he said, referring to his employees. “I want customers and employees to feel relaxed and enjoy themselves. Lots of other places don’t have that sort of teamwork.”

The restaurant has kept many aspects from when it was just a house. It has a living room-like employee break room and a cozy office on the second floor. The basement has also been newly renovated. The kitchen is very large and clean, and Devlieger intends to keep it that way.

“My most important rule is safety,” he said. “If something isn’t clean, it isn’t safe. I want my customers to be safe and I want my employees to be safe.”

Devlieger and his girlfriend have both overcome many hardships, including his girlfriend losing her job, her son losing his kidney and Devlieger himself having Crohn’s Disease. All of this has caused Devlieger to have a more positive outlook on life. He has made sure to leave all the other restaurants he’s worked at in good hands, and has kept a relaxed attitude towards his work.

“I just want to help people,” he said. “I did fundraisers, and I would make these elaborate banquets. I just did one recently for the Chautauqua County Humane Society, and I made sure that 100% of the proceeds went to them.”

The House On The Hill is open Tuesday through Sunday. It opens at 10:30 a.m. every day, and closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 p.m. Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. on Sunday. The menu is varied, and the restaurant has gorgeous views of Chautauqua Lake and the surrounding area. For more information, call 753-7800.