The Bonwit Inn had been a staple restaurant in the Commack community for many years and was recently replaced by the new Limani Grille, in which residents have mixed opinions on losing a restaurant with much significance in their town. 

“We certainly feel the pressure, we know that there was an established client base that was very loyal to the Bonwit Inn, and we are trying to cater to them too. We want everyone who used to be a Bonwit Inn client to continue to be a client at Limani,” said Teli Spyropoulos, owner of Limani Grille.

Spyropoulos wants to make his new establishment as welcoming as possible. 

“We are pretty good at building these community relationships where people want to come back and they feel really comfortable coming here,” said Spyropoylos.

The Bonwit Inn has had a huge impact on people’s lives, as many family events were once held there. Some say that the Limani Grille won’t ever be a satisfying replacement for the Bonwit Inn because it brings many unfamiliar aspects to the Commack community. 

“I think it’s going to be a very different kind of restaurant. From what I’ve heard about the Limani Grille, it sounds more like a trendy restaurant while the Bonwit Inn was more family style,” said Commack resident Lauren Fromberg. 

Residents have criticized what the Limani Grille needs to do to build their status in Commack. The Bonwit Inn had built a strong reputation in Commack for being a family get-together restaurant. Over time, their reputation changed from being a fancy, high-end restaurant to more of a casual place to meet up for dinner. Residents feel that the Limani Grille needs to keep up with current trends in the food industry to better their reputation.

“When I was growing up the reputation of the Bonwit Inn was an exclusive restaurant but as time progressed, it became very old school. Their reputation over those years changed drastically. So, what the Limani Grille needs to do is that they need to keep up with the times,” said Commack resident Daria Teller. 

With the Bonwit Inn being a family owned business, much of the staff that worked there formed strong bonds with each other. That brought a welcoming atmosphere for people when they came into the restaurant, making customers feel at home. Although many residents are extremely upset about their favorite restaurant closing, some also think that having a new restaurant with a different style will bring a breath of fresh air to Commack.

“I think people in Commack are tired of the same food over and over. It’s always pizza [and]  Italian. I think the fact that they have brought a different venue will be very successful here,” said Fromberg.

The Limani Grille’s Mediterranean seafood based menu has successful potential in this town. 

“I think it will be high end food with a casual atmosphere. Commack lost a couple of restaurants like that, so I think that it’ll be very successful,” said Teller. 🔳