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PJ Lobster House has left its iconic location in Upper Port Jefferson and is now prepping to launch its new spot in the heart of the North Shore village.
James Luciano, the owner of PJ Lobster House, is moving his business to 134 Main Street — the spot that last held Japanese restaurant Ocean 88.
He’s doing so after his original property was sold to developers to make new apartments.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, was the restaurant’s last day operating from 1 North Country Road, the location the seafood eatery and fish market have operated from since 1995.
The new PJ Lobster House location hasn’t set an opening date yet (check back for more info on that). But, the GreaterPortJeff team did catch up with Luciano this fall to talk about his next chapter in his PJ Lobster House journey.
While square footage wise these two locations are similar, it’s the setup that will be completely different, Luciano said.
For starters, there will now be three different entrances — instead of one — to the seafood eatery. One is through the Habor Square Mall, the other by the Meadow Lot, and, lastly, on the southside of the building through PJ Lobster House’s separate fish market.
And for those that like seeing lobsters, you will be able to see tanks in that market that will hold up to 1,500 pounds worth.
This move will also help PJ Lobster House’s take-out game, Luciano added, saying that the restaurant will have a kitchen that is four-times the size as the old spot.
“With COVID, we’ve been so busy with take-out orders,” said Luciano. “And now we will be fully set up for it.”
As far as seating goes, the restaurant will now be able to hold 135 people, up 40 seats from the prior location. These new seats come from a larger dining area, deck seating, a new private room that holds around 10 people, a 10-person bar, and a 12-seat raw bar.
That raw bar, which is an all-new concept for PJ Lobster House, will be serving shellfish plucked from the local waters with more types coming soon, said Luciano. Above the bars will hang large TVs hanging.
“If we do it, we want to do it right,” said Luciano.
There’s also a possibility of using the area for a Bloody Mary bar on the weekends.
Luciano, who became the owner of PJ Lobster House in 2006, said he’s excited about opening and believes he’s doing the original owner — who was a lobsterman — proud with the concept and updates.
“I always wanted to make sure their vision was kept,” said Luciano on his tenure as owner.
Make sure to check back to find out more about the opening date of the PJ Lobster House.
Top: PJ Lobster House owner James Luciano in front of his new location in Port Jefferson Village.
