One of the pioneers of the locally-grown food movement in the Finger Lakes has died.
The Finger Lakes Times reports Stonecat Café owner Scott Signori died December 26th of brain cancer. He was 54. He opened Stonecat in Hector in 1999. Along with Deb Whiting of of Red Newt Café and Dano Hutnik of Dano’s Heuriger, both of whom have also passed away, he helped launch the farm-to-table craze in the Finger Lakes.
He’s being remember for his treatment of his employees. Even though the Stonecat closes over the winter, it’s estimated 90% of his workers would return each spring.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Signori converted the café’s online store, which sold mostly branded clothing, into an online market offering groceries and bulk food for curbside pickup.
Signori is survived by his children Sophia Raven (15) and Wiley David Skywalker (12); his father David Signori. Jr (Linda); mother Nancy McClafferty Signori Dalton (Dave); brother David Signori III (Pamela); sisters Christine Signori and Gina Signori Stebbins (Chad); nieces Bella and Lily and nephew Sam; his former wife, Jessica Giles; his best friend, Daphne Nolder; and a host of cousins, aunts and uncles, particularly Dianne and John Regan.
A celebration of life is planned this spring “… with tables of great food and wine, live music, art festooning the trees and his pond, and hundreds of Scott fans,” his brother wrote.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].