Tim Burke Has Leased The Lobster Inn, Says It Will Be Open By Memorial Day

Tim Burke, a Southampton restaurateur and caterer, who owns 230 Elm in Southampton, has just signed the lease to run a restaurant at the old Lobster Inn space off of County Road 39.

Tim explained the deal in a telephone interview, “Skip sold the property to a gentlemen who is going to do some development of the property. What I have done is I have leased the restaurant from the developer with a minimum of two years and maybe beyond that until the restaurant is torn down. I don’t want to see the restaurant torn down, so I’m willing to do the two years. I’m going to have to change the name for legal reasons, and it is still not set in ink what it is going to be, but Seagrille Inn is something that I think we are going to call it.”

“I’m going to be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. I’m going to make it a fun and casual place on the water and keep the prices under control. It’s going to be very similar to the old Lobster Inn. We’re making a few minor changes inside to freshen it up, but I’m still gonna have lobster and an absolutely fresh array of seafood. We’re also going to add pasta to the menu. My philosophy is to make the locals happy and to keep the prices under control and the summer crowd will love you for it. We’re going to be open year round. Come by boat slips will be available, I think it’s going to be really cool.”

New additions to the restaurant will be a catering business, “Catering is part of my life and there is a great private party room upstairs so we’re going to do that and we’re also going to do clambakes on the beach there, which wasn’t done there in the past.”

Tim further explained that he is going to do the best he can to keep the new restaurant in tune with the restaurant so very much loved by so many people over the last 43 years. “Whatever I touch, I try to keep the essence of it. I try to do that with 230 Elm and I’m going to do the same thing with Skip’s old place. We’re going to keep the old staff that worked there, bring in some new staff, and I’m planning on being open on Memorial Day Weekend.”