Port Jefferson Restaurateur: 'Please Support Us'

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — The coronavirus pandemic has forced merchants across the country to think on the fly as they adapt to a world full of new regulations, tight budgets and general instability.

Lisa Harris, owner of three Port Jefferson shops, endured the loss of one store, made tough COVID-19-related business decisions and put serious thought into how she would approach the possibility of a second shutdown. Harris runs Prohibition, a comfort food restaurant; Torte Jeff, a pie shop that evolved into a mini-gourmet grocer; and East Main & Main donut shop.

Despite everything the pandemic has thrown at entrepreneurs, Harris is confident her trio of eateries will survive.

"What I’ve seen is that even in limited amounts, people enjoy coming [to Prohibition]," Harris told Patch. "I think we’ve created an experience for people. I think that’s a reason why our takeout isn’t as huge as a lot of other restaurants are, because we have the whole experience. People come here and they like the atmosphere, they love our staff and our servers."

Harris also founded Fork & Fiddle, a restaurant geared towards a "southern tasting experience," in December 2019. The restaurant did well at first before slowing down in January and February as the weather got cold, Harris said. While Fork & Fiddle received strong support from Prohibition customers, the coronavirus shutdown of in-store service at restaurants effectively killed the newest addition to Harris' portfolio.

"We didn’t have enough insight and experience in that restaurant to be able to say, ‘We can tough it out. We know we’re making X amount a year here, we’re going to deal with these hiccups for the next six to nine months, and on the other side, we’ll be good.’ We were not hitting our goals because of when we opened, and then rolling into March, it was just too much pressure on a new restaurant to stay open."

Harris then shifted her focus to her three remaining shops, where she's had to pull some strings to stay afloat — including bottomless mimosas at Prohibition.

"I’m kind of breaking all the rules that I set for myself at the beginning, because I have to in order to appeal to whoever is coming out," she said.

All restaurants and bars in New York endured months of a shutdown to indoor and outdoor dining. Outdoor dining was allowed again under phase two of the state's reopening plan in early June, while 50 percent capacity for indoor dining came two weeks later under phase three.

Port Jefferson Village allowed Harris to use a portion of the sidewalk for outdoor seating at Prohibition; something she said she's very grateful for.

"Without that, I don’t think we’d have been able to make it."

Still, for three months, restaurateurs were forced to shift to a takeout and delivery model in order to make ends meet. With a potential second shutdown looming as coronavirus numbers and hospitalizations rise again on Long Island, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Long Island restaurants may be limited to 25 percent capacity.

Should that happen, Harris said she would be forced to close Prohibition to in-store service indefinitely.

"We can’t survive being allowed to only seat less than 12 people in our restaurant," she said. "There’s no way we can do it. It’s a tiny restaurant, and I don’t think it’d be possible for us."

However, hope would not be lost. The business owner said she would shift back to a takeout model focusing on take-and-heat meals she would sell from Torte Jeff — just like March through June. Menu items residents would be able to take home would include wings, Brussels sprouts, and macaroni and cheese.

Harris transformed Torte Jeff into something of an essential grocery store. She continues to sell an array of sweet fruit and cream pies out of the business she founded last fall. Since opening, she also added savory dinner pies, such as chicken pot pie, brisket & ale pie and pulled pork pot pie.

The pie shop also recently got its beer and wine retail license, so certain alcohols are now available for purchase. Harris also added basic grocery items including milk, eggs and cheeses. Charcuterie boards are also sold. Harris said she'd love if people considered her shop for their grocery needs. Torte Jeff will soon be on UberEats, too.

At East Main & Main, Harris began offering do-it-yourself dipping kits in addition to the "over-the-top" donuts her customers have come to love. Such creations include the Homer Simpson-inspired strawberry-frosted with rainbow sprinkles, Caramel Cinnamon Apple, Chocolate PB Cup and more.

The purchase of gift certificates at any of her businesses would be a "huge help," Harris said. She also urged residents to follow their social media pages "so we know we have an audience that we’re marketing to."

"We really, sincerely appreciate everyone’s business," Harris said. "Please support us now so that we can be here for you when life returns to normal."

The addresses for each of the three businesses are below:

• Prohibition: 115 Main St.
• Torte Jeff: 218 E. Main St.
• East Main & Main: 250 E. Main St.