Business

Sunny’s Diner and Grill to offer dinner service, beer and wine

Almost two years ago when Jim and Sunny Liszanckie bought Sunny’s Diner in Riverhead, they wanted it to be known as the best breakfast spot in town. Now, they have a new goal.

“Now, we want to try to be that place for people who want to go out, but don’t want to go to a bar that’s like a frat party,” Mr. Liszanckie said. 

Sunny’s Diner and Grill will now be serving wine and beer, and will stay open until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, starting this week.

There will be three options for beer: Budweiser, Blue Moon and another locally brewed beer that will be switched up often. Wines will all be sourced locally and the menu will constantly change.

“I’m going to constantly rotate one of the Riverhead beers, and showcase our town,” he said. “Because pretty much everything we do here at the diner is to showcase Riverhead.”

Something brunch lovers can look forward to are the three different kinds of mimosas that will be available. They will offer the classic mimosa, of course, and one with a splash of cranberry and another pineapple strawberry mimosa.

“We wanted to be open for dinner, but we found that without a beer and wine license we really didn’t have that good of a turnout,” Mr. Liszanckie said. “A lot of people want a cold beer or a glass of wine with their meal.”

The couple hopes that they can catch some of the Suffolk Theater crowd before a show, or some visitors out at night who can grab a bite to eat before enjoying their weekend nights.

He doesn’t want his customers to think Sunny’s is being rebranded, but instead that it is simply expanding its services.

“Our goal is to get to be a family-friendly place where you can have a cocktail,” he said. He added that there will be no bar installed and no televisions either.

The Liszanckies bought the diner, formerly known as the Riverhead Diner and Grill, on East Main Street in January 2017. 

The current lunch menu will be expanded into dinner, focusing on comfort food he has found his customers to love the most, like pot roast, meatloaf and reuben sandwiches.

“It’s a chance for us to serve the community in a different way,” he said.

Regulars can also expect other exciting changes to come to the historic diner. There will also be live music on Saturday nights. The Liszanckies are also working on developing a curbside pickup and an express menu of ten items, guaranteed to be delivered in eight minutes or less.

“All of the working class, we get a half an hour for lunch, that’s it. You have to give them a chance to get their food,” he said.

“We just want to get it out there that we’re not only still here, but we’re growing,” he added. “And we want them to be a part of it. We’re not going anywhere. We love this town.”

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