A team of entrepreneurs who turned the site of a kitschy store that sold fish bait and beer in Palm Beach, Fla., into a luxury cocktail lounge now wants to open a restaurant with a members club in Montauk, Long Island — a plan that has riled local residents.
Though glitz overtook Montauk’s grittiness long ago, residents are balking at the idea of the restaurant, Mary Lou’s Montauk, which will offer what its owners are calling a “status guest component.” An annual fee of $4,000 and a commitment to spend a minimum of $2,000 on food and beverage for the summer will guarantee a seat in a members-only section of the restaurant. It will open on June 5.
“We have one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the United States, so a lot of locals can afford it, but it’s the feeling behind it,” said Kay Tyler, 49, who has been a full-time resident in Montauk for 13 years. “To some community members, this may feel insulting.”
Last year, an attempt to open a version of the Manhattan private club Zero Bond in East Hampton, the town that governs Montauk, was thwarted when town officials instituted rules, like an 11 p.m. closing time, that would have made it difficult for the club to operate.
Mary Lou’s, which will open parts of its restaurant to the public, does not yet have licenses to serve liquor or to have music, according to town officials. But the owners of Mary Lou’s say they will operate and manage the venue in connection with NDT Development, a real estate hospitality firm in Palm Beach, which already has licenses for the space. NDT did not respond to a request for comment.
