Village Idiot Pub to close in Lake Grove, reopen as cocktail lounge, restaurant

John Sarno remembers what nightlife was like for him when he was younger.

"When I was in my 20s, we'd go out for drinks and try to meet girls," said Sarno, 50. "Nowadays I see these kids stay home ... it takes a toll on my bar," the owner of the Village Idiot Pub told Newsday in an interview.

A lack of foot traffic from young people is one of the primary reasons Sarno is closing the Village Idiot's Lake Grove location, but the bar owner and restaurateur isn't giving up — instead, the 5,500-square-foot space is being retooled into a new, higher-end concept.

The pub will have a half-off drinks party on July 18 and close on July 20. In early September, the location will reopen as Rockefeller's Kitchen & Cocktails, which Sarno describes as a more upscale restaurant and cocktail lounge. This signals a change for the space that has housed the youthful and lively bar since 2019, but Sarno said it is an attempt to attract customers in their 30s and older who are in Lake Grove with their families, shopping at the Smith Haven Mall or the popular Wegman's grocery store.

While he didn't comment on specific numbers, Sarno said rising operating costs and fewer customers prompted him to either close up shop or try something else with the space. He looked to his restaurants — Chops Steakhouse and Drift 82 in Patchogue and Castaways Steak & Seafood in Port Jefferson — and decided to open a new eatery in place of the Lake Grove pub, keeping his entire staff.

"I looked at my portfolio and said, well, the restaurants are doing well," he said. "People are still going out and eating. I see it in my restaurants. The goal is to have great food and still maintain the bar crowd."

Sarno noted the many chain restaurants in Lake Grove and the surrounding area, such as Applebee's, Miller's Ale House and Buffalo Wild Wings, so he hopes an original concept will be a hit with customers. He will redesign the space to be upscale while retaining affordable pricing. His nephew Ryan Sarno is designing a private, "Gatsby-style" room for parties and catered events.

Lenore Paprocky, president of the Greater Middle Country Chamber of Commerce — which covers Lake Grove, Selden and Centereach — said she thinks a new restaurant will be good for the area.

"As leaders in the Middle Country business area, we're always excited when someone decides to upscale," Paprocky said.

The soon-to-close bar, known for its whimsical court jester logo, is one of four Village Idiot Pubs, with locations in Riverhead, Patchogue and Oakdale. Sarno said those locations will remain open.