Dockers Waterside in East Quogue plans soft reopening after devastating fire
Dockers Waterside in East Quogue is planning a soft reopening. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus
Popular East End eatery Dockers Waterside is inching toward reopening nearly one month after a fire tore through the building, closing it ahead of the start of the summer rush.
"We’re here every day, seven days a week getting it done," owner Larry Hoffman said.
The waterfront staple on Dune Road in East Quogue plans to host a soft reopening on Saturday for outdoor dining only with a limited menu, Hoffman said Thursday. Offerings will include crabcake, Caesar salad and raw bar items such as clams and oysters. Hoffman is working on securing proper permitting to reopen the restaurant for full-service indoor dining within the coming weeks.
The East Quogue Fire Department responds to a fire at Dockers Waterside Restaurant on May 20. Credit: Loud Labs NYC
The fire on May 20 burned through the roof in the kitchen on the east side of the building and left "significant fire, heat and smoke damage to the remainder of the building," Southampton Chief Fire Marshal John Rankin previously told Newsday.
Dockers Waterside restaurant and bar in East Quogue closed just before Memorial Day. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
The roof of the kitchen was fixed within the first week of the fire to make it safe for the restoration process to begin, Hoffman said. There was no smoke damage in the basement and light smoke damage in an office, he said. The outdoor dining areas were not affected.
Hoffman said he has had two painting contractors with about 10 men working at the eatery for the past two weeks. New flooring in the dining room, bar and bathrooms is also being installed.
"Most of the work was a cleanup effort," Hoffman said. "Sanding, encapsulating the smoke damage and painting, a lot of painting."
Dockers Waterside in East Quogue. Credit: Google
Hoffman has had his staff "come in and clean and do what they can," he said. He’s paying all his employees while the restaurant has been closed. "Our problems should not become their problem," he said.
Restoration efforts are going well, Hoffman said, and "everybody’s enthusiastic and getting a lot of love from the community."
"There are important things in life," he added. "While I understand that the community would like [the restaurant] open, nobody was hurt and time is on our side."
Dockers Waterside, 94 Dune Rd., East Quogue, dockerswaterside.com, 631-653-0653
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
