The new owners of a high-turnover are planning to open "an upscale deli" at corner location near and Chandler Square, becoming the latest in a trend of gourmet lunch spots to carve out spaces in Port Jefferson Village.
The move follows two years of flip-flopping in space. The turned into in 2010 serving Mediterranean-style food but they closed down soon after opening. Then, Harbor Corner Kitchen came back in 2011 but failed to find a foothold, closing its doors last fall.
Construction has already started and the plan is to be open by February, according to listing agent Maria Palmar. The new owners are a couple who sold a successful deli in New York City to move closer to their home in Port Jefferson Station.
The space has a view of Port Jefferson harbor and is over 1,000 square feet. Palmar said that because of a non-compete clause with , the site can’t be rented out as a full restaurant but is zoned to be a deli.
The feel of the new deli when it’s completed will be “cool upscale, fresh and fun,” said Palmar.
“More like delis you’d see in Williamsburg like Marlow and Sons,” she said.
With places like and sprouting up in the past year, Port Jefferson has seen a growing trend in restaurants coming to the village that offer a different eating experience than the average Long Island lunch spot. And after Moore's Gourmet Market closed years ago, it left a hole in the marketplace for upscale delis that this new place looks to fill.
According to Palmar, the new tenants have had their eye on 109 West Broadway for a while and the minute it became available they contacted her about it.
“They love Port Jeff,” she said. “They love the fact that it is a foodie village.”
