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The former site of the Montauk Highway Friendly's restaurant. FILE PHOTO
The site of the former Hampton Bays Friendly’s has been sold and will be hosting a new restaurant before the end of the year.
John Tortorella, the owner of J. Tortorella Swimming Pools in Southampton and Centro Trattoria & Bar in Hampton Bays, confirmed on Thursday, August 2, that he purchased the old Friendly’s building on Montauk Highway for $1.3 million in June.
He also confirmed that Salvatore Biundo, who leases Centro, would be the new tenant, although Centro will not be moving. Instead, the plan is to create a separate breakfast, lunch and dinner spot at the new location, which Mr. Tortorella said will open in the fall. “There will be a restaurant going in there,” he said.
Reached on Friday, Mr. Biundo said he hasn’t worked out all the details yet, but that the plan is to have some form of casual dining—something that he said the hamlet is in dire need of.
“There’s a void in Hampton Bays,” he said. “I thought it’s an excellent location right off the exit. It’s the first thing you see.”
Mr. Tortorella agreed: “There is a need there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
He added that he had been in negotiations with the previous owners of the building, Barry Moore and Joseph Malvasio, for roughly two to three months, noting that the initial asking price for the property at 149 West Montauk Highway was above $2 million.
As far as changes to the restaurant, Mr. Tortorella said that the interior will be remodeled, but the 5,200-square-foot structure will essentially remain the same.
Southampton Town Councilwoman Julie Lofstad, who lives in Hampton Bays, said she was elated to see progress. “I saw some work going on there recently and was happy to see it,” she said.
The Hampton Bays Friendly’s closed its doors in July 2017 after the franchise owner, Joe Vitrano, said his landlord, property owner Joseph Malvasio of Florida, raised the rent.
Mr. Malvasio, a trustee of the George DeQuattro Revocable Living Trust, could not be reached for comment.
Valerie Gordon on Aug 1, 2018