Owners: After Delays, Expect Something Different When The Stone Goat in St. James Opens in October
The owners of The Stone Goat have faced a number of delays from permitting to construction but they say that they are on the right path now to open in early October. Once they do, according to co-owner Nick Gounaris, it will be like nothing else in the area.
“We’re doing something that no one else is doing here,” said Gounaris in a recent phone interview with LongIslandRestaurants.com.
Gounaris described the extensive work being done on the property converting the restaurant into a destination with the kind of entertainment options most people associate with breweries found out east.
“We’re going to have live music, cornhole, backyard games, vendors, roasted corn, the works,” he said.
Originally, the owners planned to open in Spring of this year but complications forced them to push back the date.
“We put in a new septic system for the brewery and the restaurant, a new parking lot and sidewalks, and drainage,” said Gounaris. “There were so many moving parts.”
The spot is the site of the old St. James Public House building at 552 North Country Road. The site has seen a number of businesses come and go over the last 10 years or so. Before it was St. James Public House, it was briefly Grant’s Place and before that it was Five.Five 2. Prior to that it was O’s Food & Wine Bar.
Their half acre plot of land behind the restaurant (which is actually three buildings, one of which will host their brewery operations) will be used for parties, festivals and be open to families who want to chill out outside at tables, enjoying the outdoors with a brew and some food. It will also be dog friendly with a special spot for doggies to do their business complete with a make believe fire hydrant.
“People who want to have that experience don’t have to travel out east anymore,” Gounaris said.
As for the name, The Stone Goat, Gounaris says it’s different because they are going to be a different kind of restaurant and he wanted the name to stand out as well.
“Names tend to be boring, even uninteresting, and I was looking for a name that would get people asking questions,” Gounaris told us.
Read our previous story about the plans for The Stone Goat here.
The Stone Goat Restaurant & Brewery is now set to open in October 2024 at 552 North Country Road in St. James. We will post further updates as they become available.
