Earlier this month, Keith Davis, chef and founder of the Golden Pear Café, announced the closing of his Bridgehampton location (2426 Montauk Highway), a spot the eatery has called home since 1996.
Unable to negotiate a new lease, Davis wrote in a letter to the press, “We have been disappointed — by a landlord who prospered alongside us for three decades, only to sever the relationship without cause or justification. It is a heartbreaking end to a remarkable chapter in the Golden Pear’s history.”
Today was the last day the beloved Bridgehampton locale was open for business.
An experienced restaurateur and caterer, Davis earned his culinary chops working at Westhampton Beach’s Dune Deck Hotel, and then, eventually, as a sous chef at Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa, the latter of which exposed him to the bustling (and lucrative) world of off-premise catering on the East End.
Not long after, Davis opened his first Golden Pear Café location, on Main Street in Southampton, back in 1987. He opened a second location, on Newtown Lane in East Hampton, in 1991. Offering a “little taste of the Hamptons” since opening 38 years ago, the Golden Pear differentiated itself from the typical deli scene, focusing on offering dishes containing fresh, organic ingredients prepared a la minute for customers.
Both Southampton and East Hampton locations will remain open.
“Though we depart Bridgehampton for now, the Golden Pear Cafes in Southampton and East Hampton remain open,” Davis says, “and we continue seeking a new home in Bridgehampton. Hopefully, this is not goodbye forever — but only a temporary pause.”
