Nobody likes change, especially when it comes to some of the most cherished restaurants and bars within one’s hometown that have been around for generations.
However, as inevitable as change is (and will continue to be), the blow can potentially be softened when it’s in the hands of fellow locals that not only understand how restaurants work, but the people that frequent them, too.
This certainly seems to be the case with East Hampton residents Kelly and John Piccinnini, new owners of the Corner Bar in Sag Harbor — the much beloved bar and resto originally opened by the late Jim Smyth in 1978 and a place that was long considered among the last frontier of old-school locales found across the Hamptons. The husband-and-wife duo, who own the Clam Bar on Napeague Stretch as well as Sett Coffee on Amagansett’s Main Street, are no strangers to this sort of thing, having taken over the equally iconic roadside seafood shack from Kelly’s mother four years ago.
“[Restaurants] are so deeply ingrained in who I am,” the Southold native says. “My family was the one that started the Clam Bar in 1981 and I’ve been involved my whole life. I’m a restaurant kid, through and through.”
Around Labor Day weekend last year, the couple heard that the Corner Bar was on the market, initially approached by David Shorenstein and Jason Breitstone, principals of Manhattan-based Hildreth Real Estate Advisors, and who the Piccinninis would ultimately partner with in buying the building. They closed on the purchase last month for $4.4 million and will be the sole proprietors of the establishment, which will be called The Corner.
“It’s one of those things where change is scary, and if you don’t have to change, why would you change, right?” notes John. “And not that we’re forcing a change, but it did trade hands. The seller decided to sell, and they approached us at the same time. I feel very passionate about it, and we have a responsibility. And we’re not some faceless corporate New York City hospitality group coming in, because that’s when it’s a real change.”
While Sag Harbor community members were up in arms over potentially losing the signature vibe found at the “Cheers”-like hangout forever, the Piccinninis assure the spirit of the Corner Bar will hopefully not only remain intact, but will be thrivingly apparent to both Sag Harbor natives and new visitors alike.
“This is a larger catalyst for change that is very difficult to digest,” Kelly says. “And we do understand that, and in our minds, we know that we have this vision: we want to maintain X, Y and Z, but we also need to modernize it. And we keep going back to the Clam Bar, not because we’re one trick ponies, but because the blueprint that is that is very similar. It’s sort of like, ‘Hey guys, we have an active, living, breathing case study that was done in the last five years.’ We want to look at it that way, of something that we were able to take on.”
Proving up to the task, the pair dove headfirst into a new business endeavor with great enthusiasm, despite a not-so enthusiastic response from the community they were looking to become a part of. Criticism came quickly, not only because of the bar changing hands but the issue over the re-hiring of the business’s staff.
“As ownership,” John says, “we felt that it was important to bring in our team, our management team, of who we want to work with, and who works well with us.” Additionally, the Piccinninis felt it was fair to let all employees know the restaurant was closing down for multiple months for renovations, striving to provide ample time for them to seek other employment. “We wanted to speak with as much staff as possible. If someone wanted to work with us, we wanted to work with them. We’re very happy to have conversations and bring them on.”
Construction is underway at The Corner (located at 1 Main St.), with a tentative opening date for around Memorial Day Weekend. While no significant changes are slated to be made to the exterior facade of the building (aside from making the front entrance ADA compliant), there are a few inside changes that longtime regulars will certainly notice. While ubiquitous forest green accents and nautically themed decor elements will run throughout, new leather banquettes will wrap around the entirety of the dining room. The partition that separates the bar from the restaurant will be removed and replaced by a new, lower one featuring a drink railing and foldable doors that can be pushed open to allow bar patrons more space, if needed. The original mahogany bar will be refurbished. Behind the scenes, the basement and kitchen will undergo an extensive renovation to improve workflow efficienies and to meet Suffolk County Health Department regulations.
“We’re really investing the building so it can stand there for another 40 years,” John says.
“We wanted to speak with as much staff as possible. If someone wanted to work with us, we wanted to work with them. We’re very happy to have conversations and bring them on.”
John Piccinnini
Slated to be open every day for lunch and dinner, an affordable, pub-centric menu will remain at The Corner’s heart, sharing a similar, yet refreshed concept of its predecessor. Staple items will include wings, burgers, fish and chips and familiar bar food classics while regularly incorporating fresh local seafood and produce. A bar menu is also in the works.
“We always want to increase quality,” John says. “As you know, the years go on, the quality of products improves, too.”
“What makes a place fancy is the overarching elements as they pull together,” Kelly says. “If there’s white tablecloths, if the servers are wearing button downs, if there’s bottles of wine that are expensive for food or whatever noise level, all those things, right? It all brings together. So, if we are doing this work and we’re shining her up to bring her back to her old glory, but with a modern twist, we have to do that in a way that feels substantial enough that we can warrant this whole project and doing all this work. And to me, what I think is interesting, if it feels nice in a certain way, that doesn’t equal bougie.”
For now, the Piccinninis are becoming more familiar with their new Sag Harbor digs.
“It feels really good to walk around [Sag Harbor],” John says. “And we’re excited to make relationships within that community and with the other restaurants too. This is going to be a good test of the system we’ve previously built and will continue to build. So, it’s a new chapter for us to manage three different places. And we look forward to it. We’re excited.”
