Related: The LakeHouse announces first-ever wintertime closure
Gallo in Patchogue is known for a lot of things — great food and parties among them.
They’re also known for changing things up.
Co-owner David Bustamante says the family-run restaurant at 3 East Main Street tries to add something new every year, usually in winter.
With that in mind, the Colombian restaurant that opened 18 years ago will be closed until the end of January or early February for renovations.
“Once it opens up, we’ll have something new and exciting for people to come back to, it looks like a grand reopening,” Bustamante said. “It’s my building, I love to invest in it and my customers notice.”
Bustamante doesn’t want to give too much away about the renovations, but said it involves the bar side.
He’s looking to create a cozy, family-oriented and more modern atmosphere.
This year’s renovations have a more sentimental purpose for Bustamante.
He and his sister, who also runs Gallo, lost two family members to COVID-19 this past year, including their father, who opened the business in October 2002.
Bustamante said he plans to put his heart into these 2021 changes, as he had done for almost two decades with his late father.
Last year, Bustamante and his dad re-built their catering space upstairs, and the year before that, they redid the floors together.
Bustamante said this project is just another way to keep his father’s legacy and dream of Gallo alive.
“We’re going to keep this tradition alive, he’s in our hearts and watching over us, and we’re not giving up on his dream, and the business I started with him, my mom, and my sister,” he said.
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Top: Exterior of Gallo Restaurant
