Music Fest Partner Plans Bar With Stage
/By Janee Law
The current location of Energy Premier Fitness Experience on New York Avenue in Huntington village, pictured above, is being eyed by the director of the Great South Bay Music Festival for a new bar and restaurant featuring a stage for small performances.
Larry Weinberger, a financial partner of the Great South Bay Musical Festival, is planning on bringing a restaurant and bar with its own stage intended for small performances to Huntington village.
Weinberger, of Bellmore, who is also a real estate developer with MGD Investment, has filed plans with the town to transform what used to be Capitol Health on New York Avenue into “a good, old fashion coffee bar, a place for people to congregate, enjoy a relaxed atmosphere.”
“I think the community is lacking a place for gatherings and for people to be able to have small meetings or show art work, or just interact and exchange ideas,” he said. “It enhances the community dramatically.”
Although he said plans are still in the “infant stages,” he has proposed to create a 94-seat establishment in 3,390 square feet of space. The space is one of three in the 357 New York Ave. building, which also has two other storefronts on its first floor, and office space on its second floor.
The space where Weinberger plans to create the bar and restaurant is being rented out by Energy Premier Fitness Experience until the end of March.
In order to move forward with his plans, Weinberger needs the Town of Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals to approve a special use permit and parking variance to allow for use of a nearby municipal parking lot to satisfy code requirements.
Weinberger said he doesn’t see the new establishment putting a strain on parking in the village.
“This type of place taps into people walking by that want a cup of coffee,” Weinberger said. “It will enhance the town and serve the people that are already there.”
A nearby restaurant owner disagrees, however.
James Tchinnis, owner of Swallow Restaurant, which is located across the street and a few storefronts south of Weinberger’s building, said he supports Weinberger’s concept but is concerned with an increased parking demand.
Tchinnis said a solution to parking issues in the village may be to “incentivize all of these businesses to have their staff parked farther away.
“There’s no parking already and the town has no plans to enlarge parking. It’s only going to hurt us.”
Weinberger’s attorney, Wayne Edwards, went before the ZBA during its Jan. 5 meeting. The board did not make a decision and tabled the discussion. Weinberger said that, if his plans are approved, he’s hoping to start working on the new establishment in the spring.
For now, he’s begun talks with potential vendors for the bar and restaurant.
Weinberger said he has spoken with different roasters and a few people that source coffee to gain a stronger understanding in the coffee industry. He is considering the possibility of roasting coffee beans onsite.
In addition to featuring coffee, Weinberger said, he’s considering also offering craft beer at the establishment to be served at night.
“We’d love to have a craft beer element to highlight all the different craft breweries that are now blossoming across the country and on Long Island,” he said.
However, “I think the real drive to it would be the coffee element.”
As for the planned stage, Weinberger said he’s hoping to feature small performances on it. He said he’s hoping to spotlight local talent with a laid back, acoustic sound.
“This would be a stage where maybe an up and coming local performers could have their friends come listen to them,” Weinberger said. “It’s always good to have stages where unknowns can start to expose themselves.”
Editor's note: Larry Weinberger is a financial partner of the Great South Bay Music Festival.
The founder, producer, and director of the festival is James Faith.
n earlier version of this story mistakenly stated otherwise.
