Friends Gather At Bakery To Bid Sweet Adieu To Longtime Owner

WESTHAMPTON, NY — Sweet good-byes and love filled the air in Westhampton Beach Saturday night as a crowd of more than 500 guests flocked to the Beach Bakery & Grand Cafe to bid adieu to longtime owner Simon Jorna.

The night air was filled with music and stories, as guests shared memories of the moments of their lives that had taken place over Jorna's signature jelly donuts and other delectable treats.

Jorna, who sold the business officially on April 26 to Rashid Sulehri, will be retiring and moving to Berlin next month with his husband Da Zhi; the couple will spend seven months a year in Berlin, three at their home in Miama, and two months every year exploring the world as they travel to destinations including Asia and South America, he said.

Longtime friends and colleagues echoed the words that filled so many hearts Saturday night: "Simon, we will miss you."

Jorna addressed the crowd gathered, thanking them for attending his good-bye party.

"I came to Westhampton Beach in 1988 and my biggest question over the last 15 years has been, 'What the hell was I was thinking when I started here 31 years ago?' I could never have thought I would be here for so many years and sure never thought that I would meet so many wonderful people here — and that so many people would get to know me. In Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and in Mexico City and on many trans-Atlantic flights I have had customers come up to me and say 'Hi,'" he said.

One time, many years ago, Jorna said he was with his father, sister and three sisters-in-law in Manhattan and late for a Broadway show. "It was raining and no empty taxi anywhere. A big car stopped in front of us, the window opened and someone said, 'Simon, what the hell are you doing in town?' A second later he gave all six of us a ride to the theater."

Once, when his father was visiting again with his four brothers, Jorna wanted to take them to a baseball game, hoping to buy tickets at the Yankee Stadium kiosk. "It was the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. And of course, it was sold out," Jorna said. "Then I heard a very familiar sound. 'Simon is that you? What are you doing here?' He was a customer of the bakery and had two extra tickets that he gave me. A minute later a lady who I never had seen before gave me four more tickets. It is these things I will never forget."

Jorna reflected on his journey.

"I came to America with borrowed money from my brother to pay for my plane ticket — and look at what happened here. It is proof that the American dream does exist, if you work hard, if you are careful with spending your money, and with the always needed portion of good luck."

The road has not always been easy, he said.

"You have to stand up for your rights and I sure did that. It started 30 years ago with my first battle with this village. I was at the board meeting and they told me that my flower boxes and planters were illegal and I had to remove them. I was in shock and told them that I was from Holland where we love our plants and flowers! As a 24-year old I told them, 'How will it look in the paper next week when it says, 'Trustees of the Village of Westhampton Beach are against planters and flowers on Main Street?' There was silence at the board for a minute and then they said they would not pursue the issue anymore. My first victory — and many followed, but most came at a very high personal cost. I had to fight for my rights to be open after 11 p.m. I had to fight to keep my benches in front of the bakery, to get live music approved in this village, and to get outside tables and chairs approved. After all that it took 11 years to get the building addition approved!"

There was even a fight with officials up to the end, Jorna said, over two parking spaces blocked in front of the store for the party and two cones he wanted in place to protect customers.

But despite the hurdles, the love from the countless who have poured through the doors has meant everything, he said.

"I have been so lucky to have met all of you. So many of you have told me stories about your life and about what the bakery meant to you. The bakery became the center of Westhampton Beach. Thank you," he said.

(Lisa Finn)

The great memories are a shining testament to a lifetime of dedication, he said.

"In the first week that I opened the bakery in March, 1988, I met a guy called Tom who was a carpenter. A week later he showed up with his three-day-old baby girl — 14 years later she worked at the bakery for four years."

Jorna said he met a couple a few years ago. "They were on a table having a pastry and said to me, 'Today is our anniversary. We live in Arizona, and exactly 25 years ago today, we met in your store while waiting in line, and we have always stayed together.' So many people met their loved ones here at the bakery, included many of my employees."

Once, he said, a bicycle tour headed from New York to Montauk, "and for whatever reason, instead of quitting in the cold, rainy, almost icy weather, they kept going and many showed up at the bakery for a break. We decided to give them all paper towels when they entered the store so they could dry themselves. Then we took all the blankets of the beds from upstairs and put them over the bicyclists. It felt so good to help them."

Each memory creates the story of a lifetime well-lived, Jorna said.

(Lisa Finn)

"A home away from home"

"These are just some stories out of hundreds of them and it shows how a tiny little place can make a difference in this world and how immigrants are a big part of this country," Jorna said. "People told me how important is was that we were kosher. How important it was that we were always open, even during hurricanes, wildfires and snowstorms. For me that was always important, too, to be a home away from home. And that always was very noticeable, especially at holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas when so many people were still alone."

Jorna said he has always believed that working hard will pay off. "That if you fight for your rights, you will be awarded. And at the end, it sure did."

His voice filled with emotion, Jorna thanked his customers. "You have all been amazing and I know that in my heart that it will be you who I am going to be missing most when I leave here."

He also thanked the cooks, bakers, dishwasher and store staff who have helped for decades or even just weeks. And then Jorna thanked the volunteers at the Westhampton Beach Fire Department and Westhampton War Memorial Ambulance who have helped during emergencies; and the bands who have played.

Jorna thanked the bakery's new owner. "He has been amazing and he has been a gentleman all the way. Thank you so much for throwing this good-bye party. I hope you will make this bakery even better than it already is and I hope for you and your staff that it will be financial and mentally rewarding as it has been for me."

Finally, Jorna thanked his husband, "who I dearly love and who has been taking care of me for the last nine years. Without him I am sure I would have never been able to stay sane during the renovations and the early years after that. Dear husband, you always understood that my work, the bakery, was always number one for me, and that you were number two — and, many times, a number two by a long distance. Work came before play and you accepted that and I know it was not easy. Now my husband, you are number one and our life is just beginning together."

Speaking of his husband, Da Zhi said his husband has worked very hard. "He deserves this retirement."

Musician Liza Coppola came to thank her longtime friend. "When I was first starting out, he gave me a shot. I could have been booked at Madison Square Garden, I was so excited!" she said. "I am so grateful."

Elyse Richman, owner of Shock Ice Cream, came from the hospital to be there for her dear friend's good-bye celebration. "I feel sad. It's an end to a piece of our era. We both started as young kids with a dream."

Next year, she said, Main Street will look exciting and different, with new streets and new stores. "But we'll all be a little sadder without Simon," she said.

Renee Brill, a longtime member of the Chamber of Commerce, said Simon "was an amazing friend. If we needed anything, he never refused." She suggested his face be painted on the sidewalk outside the bakery, or that his handprints be preserved in the cement, just like in Hollywood.

New owner Sulehri, who also owns the Montauk Bake Shoppe, BuddhaBerry Frozen Yogurt in Montauk, and Villa Italian Specialties in East Hampton, said the bakery will remain kosher and still feature the same mouthwatering fare.

He sent his friend Jorna off with a fond farewell. "We wish him all the best and a great life, accomplishing all he plans to do." He said he hopes to visit Jorna in Berlin.

For the many who gathered, some with tears in their eyes, to say good-bye, the night was bittersweet, filled with warm embraces. Resident Gasper Arbisi had a message for Jorna all shared: "Don't forget — you can always come home."