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A post-parade party planned at the site of the old Boardy Barn in Hampton Bays spurred rumors about its next iteration. DANA SHAW
The Boardy Barn in full swing in 2014.
The old Boardy Barn in Hampton Bays. DANA SHAW
News that a post-St. Patrick’s Day parade party will be held at the site of the old Boardy Barn in Hampton Bays this Saturday set rumors swirling about the iconic club’s next iteration.
On Tuesday, March 14, Chuck Cabrera, one of the group leasing the site, offered some, but not a lot, of insight into the partners’ plans for a spot tentatively dubbed Bays Beer Garden. A post on the neighborhood site Next Door, reporting that the place would be called the Barn Yard, was deleted soon after it went up last weekend.
The name of the place itself is still up in the air, said Cabrera, who declined to say who his partners are. He described them as about eight people who have been local, seasonal residents for years: “We’re still working out who’s stepping up and going to be involved.”
He’s a partner at John Scott’s Surf Shack in Westhampton Beach, as well as owner of the Sayville Inn. Cabrera allowed that there are some partners from John Scott’s who are looking to lease the property for an as yet undetermined length of time. It’s yet to be solidified.
“We are going to be opening on Saturday,” Cabrera said, adding that the long-term plan is to open the new establishment in May, “most likely Memorial Day.”
The partners have filed a change of tenancy application, which is all the group needs, because the property already has a certificate of occupancy from the previous use as the Boardy Barn, Town Public Safety Administrator Ryan Murphy said. His fire marshals have inspected the property and found everything satisfactory.
Murphy said the group also filed for a public assembly permit for the party Saturday, and as of Monday, March 13, was on track for an approval. “The applicant has done everything we asked,” he said.
According to the New York Open Book website, the State Liquor Authority green-lit a liquor license for “summer, on premise food and beverage” last October. The seasonal license allows establishments to sell alcohol for up to nine months, between March and October. The license is listed under the name Bays Beer Garden.
Last May, the Southampton Town Board was notified of the owners’ application for a liquor license, as is a requirement of the law. At the time, The Press spoke with Bryan Danzi, who identified himself as one of the owners, in an LLC called Voxi Realty.
The SLA notification to the town described the planned operation as a “beer garden.” It cites plans for a bar/tavern offering a limited menu. The box for music is checked, with acoustic and live bands listed; the box for dancing is not checked. The early filing sought permits for a licensed outdoor deck or patio.
The application notice lists the applicant as “Bays Beer Garden LLC,” and owner Danzi’s email is provided for contact purposes.
Updated town property records show a May 5, 2022, purchase of $4 million for the 2.6 acres, and the building measuring some 12,194 square feet, built in 1984.
The sale of the Boardy Barn was made public on the bar’s Facebook page and its website, in a message which read, in part, “Mickey Shields and Tony Galgano first opened the barn doors on April 16, 1970. We are deeply grateful for the memories we hold in our hearts.”
News that the legendary locale was up for sale spread during fall 2021. The Boardy Barn had been closed due to the pandemic, and then suffered another blow when Tony Galgano, who owned the popular watering hole with partner Mickey Shields for a half century, became ill. He died at the Kanas Center for Hospice Care on Quiogue that year.
Looking ahead to the party this weekend and a grand opening later this spring, Cabrera said of leasing the legendary site, “It was an opportunity and we decided to get involved. We’re hoping it’s a good location and everyone can enjoy themselves.”
As the former owners would say, they plan to “keep a good thought.”
