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The Inn Spot in Hampton Bays closed in July.
After more than 15 years, the Inn Spot in Hampton Bays has closed its doors — the restaurant’s owners and chefs, Pam Wolfert and Colette Connor, finalized a nearly $4 million sale of the property on July 19, according to real estate agents.
The restaurant, popular for its Shinnecock Bay views and seafood, opened in its current location in 2004 after moving from Quogue, where it opened in 1999.
After closing on the sale, Ms. Wolfert and Ms. Connor, both 57, reflected on the moment.
“It felt bittersweet,” Ms. Wolfert said. “We’ve dedicated our whole life over the last 20 years plus to serving our wonderful customers.”
And the restaurant closed quietly: no post on its Facebook or Instagram; its website had no closure bulletin as of publication.
“On the last night, we did not make an announcement — we really didn’t think we could personally handle having to do that,” Ms. Connor said. “We didn’t say goodbye to them, we said, ‘See you later,’ because we will.”
The two chefs plan to continue operating their food truck — Happy as a Hamptons’ Clam — and have rebranded themselves as a catering business, Cheffe’s Catering, they said.
As for the closure, the two said financial strain from the pandemic was not a factor — revenue from guest rooms at the Inn Spot and takeout offset the losses from a closed dining room.
“We were just ready for another chapter,” Ms. Wolfert said. “We held our own during the pandemic so it was not because of that.”
Ms. Connor started in the restaurant business in the 1980s after moving to the United States. She grew up in Europe, and despite having no formal culinary training, always found herself in the kitchen. The two are a team in all their ventures, Ms. Connor said — she trained Ms. Wolfert on the job.
Moving forward, Ms. Wolfert said they’re excited to see what the buyers of the property do.
“We feel like they’re going to just run a top-notch resort,” she said. “We feel like they’ll do it justice, after all the hard work we’ve put into building up that business and that property.”
Hal Zwick and Jeff Sztorc of Compass listed and sold the property. Mr. Zwick said Ms. Connor and Ms. Wolfert received close to their $3.9 million asking price. They declined to disclose who purchased the property.
“It’s going to be a new entity,” Mr. Zwick said. He noted that the new owners came forward in May.
Phone calls to the restaurant were answered by voicemail that said the property was undergoing renovations, as did a handwritten piece of paper taped to the door, that read: “We are closed for renovations. See you soon!!” The paper was signed “The Inn Spot team.”
An individual who answered the door of the closed restaurant on Tuesday identified himself as a member of the group that purchased the property. He declined to disclose his name or specific plans for the property, but confirmed that they would keep a restaurant on site opening in 2022. He said a statement identifying the owners and plans for the site will be released in the future.
