Those heading to the Hamptons this summer might have fewer new shops and restaurants to discover.
So many businesses rushed in after the pandemic that there just isn’t as much space available this year. Even pre-pandemic, it seemed the Hamptons was becoming a year-round destination, pushing brands to rethink how they operated there.
“It’s been an exciting couple of years with new businesses and new players wanting to make their mark in the Hamptons,” says Jeff Sztorc, partner in the Hamptons real estate team at Compass. “The Hamptons is a very desirable market and there is always opportunities.”
East Hampton and Southampton, with their luxury orientation, do have busy days, particularly on weekends, but settle down somewhat on weekdays.
There is still plenty happening, though, as always. There’s buzz about The Maidstone Hotel, an historic landmark located at 207 Main Street in East Hampton, for one. Under the ownership of LDV Hospitality, in partnership with Irwin Simon and Mayank Dwivedi of ISMD, the boutique hotel in June will present a “rejuvenated” food and beverage program crafted by chef Jorge Espinoza, who’s known for his tenure at Scarpetta in Manhattan. The Maidstone’s menu will evoke an “Italian summer” in the Hamptons with dishes, cocktails and wines inspired by coastal Italy.
“As a long-time admirer of the Hamptons’ unique blend of elegance and tranquility, acquiring The Maidstone Hotel has been a deeply personal endeavor for me. My family’s ties to this cherished community run deep,” Irwin Simon, managing director of ISMD, said in a statement. Also at The Maidstone, designer Poonam Khanna of Unionworks has “refreshed” the guest room interiors with luxury touches such as Frette linens and new furnishings.
French childrenswear brand Bonpoint has expanded its presence out East with the opening of its first permanent boutique in East Hampton at 66 Newton Lane, Suite F. The 992-square-foot shop houses the newborn, baby, ceremony, girl, boy, skin care and fragrance collections. The boutique has a mix of antiques and vintage pieces and custom furniture all imported from France, and a soft muted palette of tonal whites, khaki gray and pale blush pink, and hanging lighted garlands by Parisian artist Zoe Rumeau.
“The U.S. remains an important market for the house and we know the Hamptons is the perfect location to grow the business,” says Maria Salazar Levin, chief executive officer for Bonpoint in the Americas. Previously, Bonpoint had a seasonal boutique in Southampton.
Luxury website Mytheresa and Flamingo Estate are returning to the Hamptons for their second collaborative seasonal pop-up in a row, housing the “Railroad Racetrack” range of fashion, accessories, fine jewelry and watches from Mytheresa.com, alongside Flamingo Estate’s “Inconvenience Store” stocking apothecary and pantry products.
Scheduled to open June 28, the pop-up’s central feature will be a miniature racetrack garden with race cars and Mytheresa products, a room with racing video games, a VIP clubhouse with a bar and luxury accessory displays, product customization and energy readings with a healer. Mytheresa’s summer edit will include exclusives from brands such as Toteme, Khaite, Valentino, Etro, Dries Van Noten and Missoni. The pop-up will be located across the street from the East Hampton railway station.
“There are not many new pop-ups, because the retail market has been so good,” Lee Minetree, associate broker at Saunders Associates, says. “Since COVID-19, the Hamptons has not seen as much turnover as before. Businesses are taking longer leases. Things have been rented. There hasn’t been the usual shuffling. Obviously, restaurant and retail did much better in the off-season than normal years. Sag Harbor is particularly busy, year-round.”
Among other permanent shops and restaurants and pop-ups appearing in the Hamptons for the first time, or relocating in the Hamptons, are:
- Village Bistro, a new restaurant at 10 Main Street in East Hampton, on the site of the former Rowdy Hall. It offers a classic American-French bistro style menu including burgers and french fries and onion soup.
- N’amo Seafood & Raw Bar at 474 West Lake Drive in Montauk on the site of the former La Fin restaurant. It’s all about a mix of seafood, modern Italian and Far East cuisine in a casual atmosphere. The name N’amo is inspired by the allure of the sea and the hook that draws in the freshest catch, “symbolizing our commitment to the ocean’s bounty and sustainable culinary practices,” the owners wrote in their opening announcement.
- Siblings Marc and Joey Wölffer, the owners of Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, have a new restaurant, to be led by executive chef Brian Cheewing, at 4 Amagansett Square in Amagansett, on the site of the former Meeting House Restaurant, and will be open year-round.
- Arthur & Sons, the popular Italian restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village, with star Michelin chef Joe Isidori, has opened a sister restaurant at 203 Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton.
- Designer Cynthia Rowley opens a new retail location at 150 Main Street in Sag Harbor at the end of May. Modeled after her Montauk store, the store has a surf aesthetic and will carry Rowley’s wetsuits, swimwear, accessories and ready-to-wear.
- Fierce Grace Yoga Studio opened up in East Hampton, at 3 Railroad Avenue, offering a variety of classes and an integrated yoga system by senior Yoga teacher and founder of Fierce Grace, Michele Pernetta.
- BroDenim has opened at 95 Main Street in Sag Harbor.
- Sunshine, the lifestyle boutique owned by Heidi Humes, moved to 98 Newtown Lane in East Hampton from Amagansett. It’s filled with gifts, decor, clothing, accessories, kids’ items and other products made by female artisans from around the world.
- Doen, the Los Angeles-based California-inspired classic women’s and children’s fashion brand, opens at 11 Madison Street in Sag Harbor in late May. The brand, which advocates for gender and social equality, has stores in Brentwood and Montecito, Calif., and New York City.
- Southern Tide, which sells classic, and colorful, men’s and women’s fashion reflecting the coastal lifestyle of the South, opened in Sag Harbor at 127 Main Street.
- Handvaerk, the fashion basics brand founded by husband-and-wife Esteban Saba and Petra Brichnacova, opened their first store at 30 Main Street in Southampton.
