Star Confectionery is more than a place to eat, it’s a tradition

It’s no secret now that Star Confectionery, a popular downtown Riverhead restaurant, will close its doors for the final time on Wednesday, Aug. 27, after more than a century on Main Street. The staple eatery is renowned for its ice cream sundaes and milkshakes, and has been owned by the same family — the Meras family — across three generations.

It’s much more than a Riverhead thing, though, as people come from near and far to spend an hour or two in its booths. No matter who ventures in there, it becomes meaningful to them.

Jack O’Keefe and John Zuccarelli, both of Hampton Bays, are part of a handful of friends who like to go out to eat after Sunday mass at St. Rosalie’s Church. They like to mix it up each week, but one place that’s earned a spot in the rotation through the years is Star Confectionery. Mr. O’Keefe learned about the place some years back after reading about it in an article, and decided they should check it out.

“We started doing this breakfast thing,” Mr. O’Keefe said. “I had read the article and I said, ‘Why don’t we go there and try it out?’ We did, and enjoyed it, and we went back many times after.”

Some places stick in the rotation, some don’t. Some places are expensive, some are reasonable. For this group of parishioners, Star Confectionery was always the latter.

“We mix them around and go to different ones,” he said. “But Star came up a lot because it was good, it was nice. The people there, the service, there were no problems with them, or anything like that. You got good food for a fair price.”

Mr. O’Keefe always went for the breakfast options: eggs, pancakes, French toast and bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. For Mr. Zuccarelli, it has always been a little more than a place to grab a bite for breakfast. For him, it was nostalgic.

“I’m going to miss it, in a sense, because it brings up old memories that I had of when I was in Brooklyn,” Mr. Zuccarelli said. “We would go to ice cream parlors there, and I was sort of like the link through all the years. I don’t think there’s anything like that around anymore, not that I can think of.”

They got to know the shop’s owner, Anthony Meras, throughout their years of going there, and would chit-chat. It seems to be like that with everyone: Mr. Meras isn’t just a business owner, he’s an iconic community member. He was even the grand marshal for the Jamesport St. Patrick’s Day Parade back in March.

Published reports indicate that Mr. Meras sold the building back in May and is stepping away to focus on his health and spend time with family and friends. Mr. Meras started working at Star Confectionery in May 1991. He would come out for the summers, helping do the dishes. Then his uncle retired, and he’s been there ever since.

The building is originally from 1875, and the interior, the parlor, is from 1911. Mr. Meras’ grandfather’s cousin built the interior, the floor, the ceiling, the doors and the windows. All are originals from 1911, he has told Riverhead News-Review. But it doesn’t feel old or outdated; it adds to the magic.

“When you walk in there,” Mr. Zuccarelli said, “you’re going back 50 years.”