Tap Room Expands to Huntington, Taking Over Craft Kitchen & Cocktails Space
Tap Room officially opened its doors in Huntington on June 29th, taking over the location briefly occupied by Craft Kitchen & Cocktails. This marks a significant milestone for the Tap Room team, who have been looking to expand into premier restaurant towns across Long Island. Huntington joins their six other locations in Bay Shore, Farmingdale, Jericho, Massapequa Park, Patchogue, and Rockville Centre.
The decision to move into the Huntington location, which was formerly Honu Kitchen & Cocktails, was sparked by a mutual friend who introduced the Tap Room team to the Craft Kitchen & Cocktails owners.
“We saw an incredible opportunity here,” said James Bonanno, co-owner of Tap Room, in an interview with LongIslandRestaurants.com. “Craft did an amazing job building out the space, and since their concept was extremely similar to ours, the transition was seamless.”
Bonanno said the location was busy but the Craft Kitchen & Cocktails owners were looking to scale down. Situated right on New York Avenue, the new Tap Room is in a prime location directly across from The Paramount, one of Long Island’s most popular music venues.
“The Paramount is a big traffic driver,” said Johnson. “It’s an amazing venue and we’re very fortunate to be right across the street. The location is perfect for concert-goers looking for a place to eat or grab a drink before or after a show.”
To enhance its appeal as a sports and social hub, the Tap Room team has made some updates to the space, including adding more TVs, even in the booths.
“We wanted to create a space where people can come to watch games or enjoy Sunday football,” said Johnson.
As part of their growth strategy, Tap Room is also gearing up to open new locations on Franklin Avenue in Garden City and at Station Yards in the Ronkonkoma Train Station.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into building a team and the infrastructure for growth,” he said.
The success of Tap Room, which first opened in Patchogue in 2011 by David Johnson, Kevin Boyle, and Bonanno, lies in its commitment to high-quality pub fare and a welcoming atmosphere.
“We focus on making all of our appetizers from scratch and offering a great beer selection that’s always rotating,” said Bonanno. “Our goal is to cater to everyone, whether it’s for dinner, brunch, lunch, sports, or nightlife.”
The Huntington Tap Room will offer the same popular events and specials, including mussels and beer on Mondays, kids eat free nights, trivia nights, and wing nights.
“Huntington is an amazing town, and we’re excited to be in one of the best locations right across from The Paramount,” added Bonanno.
Tap Room: 363 New York Avenue, Huntington, (631) 421-690, www.taproomofny.com.
