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What started as recipe testing to pass the time during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a second Long Island restaurant.
Beach Bird recently soft-opened in the former Peri Peri space at 163 E. Park Ave. in Long Beach, bringing its menu of fresh chicken tenders, nuggets, sandwiches, wraps, wings and salads to the South Shore after building a loyal following in Oyster Bay.
“Our recipe and our brine is what makes us stand out from the rest, even people who aren’t into chicken fingers,” owner David Malinowski told Greater Long Island. “During COVID, my cousin and I were bored and just messing around with recipes. It took a while, but we finally found one that we thought was perfect.”
Malinowski said every piece of chicken is fresh, never frozen and brined for 24 hours before it’s prepared.
“We wanted to make sure we did it right — something the community embraced,” he said. “That happened in Oyster Bay, so when this space became available, I said, ‘Let’s do it.'”
The Long Beach location features the same menu that helped make Beach Bird a destination in Oyster Bay, including chicken and waffles, buffalo chicken mac and cheese and a Chipotle Sandwich that has become an unexpected customer favorite.
“Everyone loves the Chipotle Sandwich, and it’s actually my favorite too. I used to eat them every day when I was working 24 hours a day,” Malinowski said with a laugh. “What’s funny is that it was a last-minute addition to the menu, and now it’s one of our most popular items.”
Although construction delayed the opening longer than expected, Malinowski said the enthusiasm from Long Beach residents never faded.
“The community reaction has been amazing,” he said. “It took a little longer to open than we wanted, but every time we were here and the door was closed, someone would come in and say, ‘We can’t wait for you to open.’ Even a mailman came in and said it, and it wasn’t even our mailman!”
For Malinowski, opening a second restaurant is about recreating the experience that made the first location successful.
“At the end of the day, I love making people happy with our food,” he said. “We did that in Oyster Bay, so I said, ‘Let’s go somewhere else and do it again.'”
Top: Beach Bird recently soft-opened in the former Peri Peri space at 163 E. Park Ave. in Long Beach. Inset: David Malinowski, owner. Credit: GLI/Andrew Rappaport
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