In Southampton, the main attraction restaurant has always been 75 Main on Main Street. Spilling out onto the sidewalk, 75 Main is right in the middle of the action. You can’t miss it.
But this week the state of New York suspended their liquor license. Now the last two weeks of summer could be pretty difficult.
Earlier this summer, when indoor dining restrictions were lifted on Long Island, 75 Main pulled a sketchy PR stunt. They actually set on fire a table they claimed had been frequented by Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein– just get to get attention.
But neither of those men had been near Southampton in three to four years, and there was no proof they ever sat at that table. Weinstein was not a Southampton regular at all. Insiders laughed when they read that Epstein used to scout young girls at 75 Main. LOL.
So the license pull may be a bit of karma. Even in Page Six, the restaurant is trying to turn the negative notice into new that “Joe Biden, Steve Mnuchin, Paris Hilton and Ivana Trump” have all recently been there. Ivana, yes. The rest, no.
During the day, 75 Main is a friendly, bustling lunch spot. But late at night it’s become a magnet for young girls with very short skirts meeting older guys. Now the state has caught up with them.
The report reads: “On August 22nd, SLA investigators and officers with the Suffolk County Police Department, the Southampton Village Police Department, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint inspection of the premises. At approximately 6:00 pm, investigators observed a line of patrons waiting to enter the premises, ignoring social distancing, with most not wearing facial coverings. Investigators also observed two bartenders and three servers without facial coverings. Roughly an hour later, investigators returned to find multiple employees and patrons standing, mingling and drinking around the bar without facial coverings, with several patrons from nearby tables wandering up to the bar to mingle and consume shots — in violation of the Governor’s Executive Order prohibiting walk-up bar service. They also observed long lines at the restrooms without social distancing and with several patrons not wearing facial coverings. At least 27 employees were working at the time of the inspection, with none of them observed attempting to control the lines or prohibit patrons from consuming alcohol while standing near the bar. At approximately 11:00 pm, the joint inspection team entered the premises, observing two employees run to the kitchen to alert staff. Upon entering, investigators identified 25 additional violations — including serious health hazards — and four criminal court summonses issued. In addition, earlier in the evening, an 18-year-old underage agent was able to purchase alcohol on two separate occasions without being asked for identification. The business is a repeat offender, with the Village of Southampton Police documenting 75 patrons eating inside on June 13th, prior to indoor dining being allowed on Long Island, and investigators from the state taskforce observing three employees without facial coverings on July 28th. Charges from both previous incidents are pending with the SLA.”
Me? I’ll stick with the historic Sip N Soda diner around the corner.
