Watch Hill restaurant open for the summer

Six years after a fire destroyed the original building, Whalehouse Point Restaurant & Bar in Watch Hill, Fire Island, is officially open for the summer following a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Monday.

The Watch Hill restaurant is finally open once again after it was tragically burned to the ground in 2019.

Doug and Lee Biviano, concessioners for Watch Hill and Sailors Haven and co-managers of the restaurant, have been working nonstop ever since the fire to rebuild what once was a Fire Island hot spot.

Due to delays from COVID, this year’s weather conditions, and factors at the federal and state levels, the restaurant’s rebuilding process was long and not easy, but the Bivianos are finally happy to be back.

“It’s been a journey, and so many people are a part of this coming to today, and that’s the beauty in it,” Lee said. “There’s good to come from the bad.”

The Bivianos are continuously grateful for the many organizations and people involved in the rebuilding of this restaurant, many of whom were in attendance to celebrate this milestone.

“I’m incredibly grateful for all the support we had in rebuilding from the federal level to the National Park service all the way to the local communities and authorities,” Doug said.

The Bivianos were all smiles as they cut the red ribbon to commence the long-awaited re-opening of Whalehouse Point.

“A lot of people don’t even know about Watch Hill on Long Island, and they should.” Doug said. “It’s a beautiful place to connect with families and friends and everybody’s welcome here.”