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The latest Tap Room location opened in downtown Bay Shore on Tuesday — and it did so to a flood of people.
Those people were pouring into the gleaming new bar and restaurant at 44-46 East Main Street from this summer’s first Alive by the Bay festival.
So it was trial-by-fire for the four partners.
GreaterBayShore caught up with them in the midst of the crowded grand opening.
“Everything is going as smoothly as possible,” said James Bonanno, a partner in Bay Shore and a founder of the original and wildly popular Patchogue location.
Bonanno is joined in Bay Shore by Patchogue co-founder David Johnson, as well as partners Kevin Boyle and Mike Nicholson.
The team took over the space — which last held the short-lived Big Daddy’s East — in March.
The build-out took less than four months.
“This community is awesome; there’s a lot of great people and we’re already friends with a lot of the restaurateurs on the street,” said Bonanno.
He also noted the team’s ownership in the neighboring Bango Bowls location, which opened last year.
“So we were already familiar with the area,” he said.
The interior is decked out in wood finish with gleaming new, industrial-style Edison fixtures and a huge first-floor barroom space that rivals the dining room’s size.
Flat screen TV’s and a massive projector screen line the western wall behind the bar.
There are also plans to expand upstairs for more space, as well as catered events, with patrons being able to access a planned rooftop deck.
The new Tap Room will be about 5,800 square feet in total.
This is The Tap Room’s third location. There’s also a Tap Room in Massapequa Park. Each boasts a huge selection of craft beer options and freshly made tavern food.
“We’ll be able to do a lot of the same things that we do in Patchogue and Massapequa Park here in Bay Shore,” Bonnano said. “It’s an awesome town and we’re just happy to be a part of it.”
The upstairs area and rooftop deck are expected to open later this year.
The Tap Room in Bay Shore will be open seven days a week, with lunch and dinner being served Tuesdays through Sundays. They open at 3 p.m. on Mondays.
Check back at GreaterBayShore for updates.
Top: Tap Room Bay Shore owners Mike Nicholson, James Bonanno and David Johnson outside the new bar and restaurant on Tuesday. Not pictured is partner Kevin Boyle.(Credit: Nicholas Esposito)
