Family-style restaurant in the works for West Main
A new restaurant is in the works for West Main Street in Riverhead and the hope is that it opens in May.
The Riverhead Planning Board held a public hearing Thursday night on plans for Simple Table, a proposed 40-seat eatery that Riverhead property manager Tom Mielnicki hopes to create in a vacant building at 305 West Main Street that last housed an auto shop about eight years ago.
“It’s about trying to do something positive with that part of town,” Mr. Mielnicki said of his plans.
Mr. Mielnicki, who is also vice president of the Polish Town Civic Association, said he will serve as executive chef. His daughter, a culinary student, will also work at the eatery, which he said will offer comfort food — served family-style.
Mr. Mielnicki said he also plans to build an outdoor patio with outdoor seating.
In an interview after the Planning Board meeting, Mr. Mielnicki said he purchased the property from Pat Tuccio for $243,000 in June. The property, which is a third of an acre, includes three buildings, including the space for the proposed restaurant. One of the smaller structures on the property is currently used as an office, Mr. Mielnicki said.
Mr. Mielnicki said he plans to build a small addition to combine two buildings that are just eight inches apart from each other, giving the restaurant a total square footage of roughly 2,300 square feet, with the a third building remaining free standing.
Sixteen gravel parking spaces will also be added, he said.
Lisa Cuomo, Mr. Mielnicki’s business partner, said Simple Table will offer reasonably-priced meals, something she said is “kind of lacking right now in downtown Riverhead, from a family’s standpoint.”
“We’re hoping we get the approval to go forward with this because it’s something that could be beneficial and encourage foot traffic,” she said.
The property is located west of the existing Citibank building.
