The long-awaited revival of The Beacon of Long Island is taking another step forward — this time, in cinematic fashion.
Ownership in Port Washington has released a 1-minute, 51-second sizzle reel offering a stylized, AI-generated photo and video tour of what the restored 100-year-old venue is expected to become when it reopens in 2027.
“As the doors slide open, you enter the grand lobby, where history and glamour meet,” the narrator says, guiding viewers past a piano and into a grand performance room envisioned for dinner shows. The video then drops into a dimly lit speakeasy below — “a room made for stories” — before closing with a promise:
“The Beacon, alive again, ready for anyone who walks in with curiosity, and just a little imagination.”
Watch:
Restoration of the century-old Beacon of Long Island is officially underway in Port Washington. Ownership just released a 1:51 cinematic preview of the planned 2027 reopening. Here’s the vision 👇 pic.twitter.com/W5gWhCpzIX
— Greater Long Island (@Greater_LI) February 18, 2026
The teaser was created in collaboration with digital creative studio Tagir.ai and shared by owner Louis Branchinelli on Instagram, where he described the Beacon as a 30,000-square-foot, 478-person dinner-and-show venue, catering hall and multi-use space.
“The Beacon of Long Island will be unique,” he wrote. “In 2027, we will be thrilled to announce the opening of this 100 year old dinner and show venue.”
The idea for a dinner theater began when Branchinelli, a hospitality veteran and Long Island native, noticed more people were going out and staying in one spot (and enjoying it!) as COVID restrictions were being lifted.
So he began searching for a large venue that could offer that kind of all-in-one experience for local audiences.
“I felt like the dining experience changed,” Branchinelli previously told Greater Long Island. “People started learning how to be confined and be happy with staying at a table. Then, you would realize they would put entertainment in some of these places and they would stay a while.”
He also wanted to inject a heavy dose of nostalgia — something that shines through in the newly released reel.
While the video leans heavily into mood and imagination, the restoration itself is no longer theoretical. The long and often complicated process of renovation and construction is now underway, Branchinelli said.
As previously reported by Greater Long Island, the goal is to transform the historic Main Street property into a hybrid entertainment destination that blends old-world character with modern production capabilities.
The Beacon was built in 1926 as a single-screen movie palace, serving generations of Port Washington residents as a hub for film and live entertainment, according to the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society.
Over the decades, the theater evolved, later operating as a multiplex before ultimately closing in 2018. Moves for what’s expected to be a $15 million renovation began in 2023.
Top: “Built in 1926, the movies that would have been shown were silent, with ‘Talkies’ not taking hold until about 1930,” according to the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society. Photo credit: Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society
