After closing its doors in 2014 the building that held the former Bayview Inn and Restaurant in South Jamesport is set to reopen under new ownership later this year.
The owners of the Cedar House on Sound bed and breakfast in Mattituck, David and Donna Perrin and Frank and Donna Scarola, purchased the building in the beginning of July, said Mr. Perrin. They hope to have it open sometime before this winter.
“Right now we’re just in renovation mode and taking care of all the necessary permitting and fire code and all of that stuff,” Mr. Perrin said.
Part of this renovation entails painting all the rooms to fit the theme of the location, something Mr. Perrin described as not necessarily “beachy”, but definitely playing on the close proximity to the bay. Compared to Cedar House which is deeper, warmer colors this new location will use cooler colors while maintaining the “chic, rustic” theme that Cedar House sports.
“Our main focus first is to get the inn operational and open, and then get the restaurant cleaned up and ready to get going.”
Additionally, the name of the location will change from Bayview Inn to Bay Breeze Inn.
“We really wanted obviously, to keep the bay part of it, but from the perspective of someone who’s booking online and never been to the area, if you hear a place called the Bayview Inn you would expect a stellar view of the bay,” Mr. Perrin said. “And the reality is with the amount of trees that’s there, there’s a limited view. However, everyday you have a fabulous breeze so we thought Bay Breeze Inn is nice.”
He said he hopes the two locations will work together to showcase all the North Fork has to offer, touching upon the agriculture of the area with Sarcola Vineyards onsite at Cedar House and the aquaculture of the North Fork with their new inn.
Open since June 2010, Cedar House on the Sound is a former potato packing barn turned five-bedroom bed and breakfast. The Cedar House website said that wooden floors from the original potato barn were used in the ceiling, window trim and other parts of the building.
In a 2014 northforker article, Mr. Perrin said the space “caters to a younger generation of visitors and locals looking for a mini-getaway.”
Scarola Vineyards was added to the site in 2011 and has produced award-winning chardonnay, merlot and cabernets.
Their purchase of the former Bayview Inn and Restaurant comes after the previous owner tried to convert it from a restaurant and inn into apartments last winter. The plan called for the space’s main building, which dates back to 1860, to become five apartments and the property’s cottage into two more apartments.
In February the Riverhead Town Zoning Board of Appeals denied Mr. Mathew’s request to convert the space into apartments.
Mr. Perrin said the plans are to utilize the building as an inn, which they will operate, and lease the restaurant portion to someone else. Their friend Leigh Austin, who currently lives in Florida, will move into Bay Breeze Inn and be the full time innkeeper.
“We’re really excited to be a part of the South Jamesport community and have more lodging to offer,” he said.
Photo Caption: The Bayview Inn and Restaurant in South Jamesport (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch File Photo).