Record Stop from Lake Ronkonkoma is reopening in Patchogue

Update: Record Stop has announced a spring 2017 opening.

Anyone who grew up in Lake Ronkonkoma or even a 15-mile radius probably remembers Record Stop.

How could they not? The place was on Portion Road from 1974 to 2010.

Now Record Stop is back.

Plans are in the works to re-open Record Stop on Railroad Avenue in Patchogue Village, across the street from The Emporium music hall south of West Main Street.

But in actuality, Record Stop never left.

Owner Jeff Berg, who’s dad, Bruce Berg, founded Record Stop, moved to a warehouse location in Shirley when the Lake Ronkonkoma storefront closed in 2010 and continued with business online.

This was all explained at a Tuesday night hearing before the Patchogue Planning Board.

Besides its online record sales, the company, under the name Monostereo, offers label management, production and manufacturing and distribution services.

“My family has been in the music business for over 40 years,” Jeff Berg told the Planning Board Monday night, before his plan was approved. “I started maybe 15 years ago with distribution, record label management and everything in between.”

As for the move back to a storefront, there was a revival about three to five years ago in the popularity of record sales, specifically vinyl records, he explained.

That, and people had been asking Record Stop to reopen — specifically in Patchogue.

“Right now we’re in an industrial park and people who come once a month say they would come once a week,” Jeff Berg told the board.

HIs application to use the property to sell records — as well as house offices for the internet-based sales and other services — was unanimously approved.

Berg told the board there was no intention to hold outside music.

The hope is to open sometime this winter, after renovations, and offer records, CD’s, DVD’s, accessories, T-shirts, record cleaners, speakers, record players and more.

“We would offer all your music needs,” Jeff Berg said.

Top photo: Record Stop in Lake Ronkonkoma, 1983. (courtesy)

Click here to learn about the history of Record Stop with great photos.