Top stories of 2018: After 148 years, Claudio’s in Greenport sold
The March sale of Claudio’s in Greenport marked the end of an era.
The main restaurant was opened in 1870 by Manuel Claudio and was billed the longest continuously family-owned eatery in the United States.
For nearly 30 years, Claudio’s was owned by a corporation, which included Bill and Jan Claudio, Kathy Claudio and Beatrice and Jerry Tuthill. The group purchased Claudio’s in 1989 from the siblings’ father, William Claudio Sr., who had owned the popular bar and restaurant since 1930.
The restaurant complex, which includes Claudio’s, Claudio’s Clam Bar and Crabby Jerry’s, had been on the market since January 2015.
The new ownership group — which includes well-known asbestos attorney Perry Weitz and his son David, along with debt relief specialists Ian Behar and Ryan Sasson — purchased the three waterfront restaurants and reopened in time for Memorial Day 2018.
Tora Matsuoka, co-owner of Sen Restaurant in Sag Harbor, and his business partner, Stephen Loffredo, leads the new management. The two announced plans to make the restaurants more “family friendly” in 2019 by adding outdoor seating, recreation and green spaces. They plan to retain the Claudio’s name and restore the exterior of the building in its original colors of white with blue trim.
“The idea is to energize the restaurant which, in all truth, is underperforming,” Mr. Loffredo said earlier this month.