Explore Southampton Village Off-Season Restaurants and Events

On a Tuesday night in February, which places in Southampton Village will still have the lights on? A year ago you could have answered from memory. In 2026 the answer depends on which businesses figured out how to stop being summer-only rooms.

This fall the clearest example sits by the train station, where a burger bar and a seasonal nightclub now share one building and one calendar. It also explains several other changes around the village center.

Where Union Burger Bar Used to Be

Before Union Burger Bar, 40 Bowden Square had a longer history. Don Sullivan opened the Southampton Publick House there in June 1996 with his brothers Jim and Kevin. The Southampton Press reported that it was the first craft brewery on the East End and one of only a handful on Long Island. At its peak the brewery made six year-round beers plus a rotation of seasonal ones. The building at Bowden Square was sold in 2016, and the Publick House moved downtown to Jobs Lane. Brewing ended with that move.

Union Burger Bar was the next tenant at 40 Bowden Square, and now it has left too. Co-owner Ian Duke told Dan's Papers that the last night at the old location was the Sunday before its October 8 reopening. The move came after he and the landlord could not reach an agreement on the lease.

So two village institutions began at the same corner, and both have since moved closer to where people are year-round.

A Building With a Summer Name and a Winter Name

The Southampton Social Club has been at 256 Elm Street, by the train station, for 16 years. It has always closed for the off-season, and that left the space empty for Union to take over. The restaurant has dropped "Burger Bar" from its name and is now just Union. Duke plans to serve lunch and dinner there year-round. When summer comes back, the Social Club's weekend nightlife will run in the same building. Right now the Social Club's own homepage says it is closed for the season and sends visitors to Union at the same address.

Duke explained the reasoning simply in his interview with Dan's Papers:

"The days of being able to operate seasonally are really dwindling for most restaurant operators. You simply can't do enough business in the 12 weeks of summer to sustain you on an annual basis, let alone make money."

The menu is broader now so it can hold a smaller, steadier crowd. The specialty burgers, hand-cut fries and milkshakes are still there. Duke is adding a full sushi program, steak, seafood, poultry, pasta and vegetarian dishes, and craft beer and small-batch bourbon. The entertainment schedule is planned to fill every night of the week, with live music, DJs, theme nights, bingo, trivia and a vinyl night. "We're going to have something going on here every single day," Duke said.

He also described what he thinks winter takes: "The number of people to appeal to is smaller. We need to make sure every one of those guest experiences is even better."

Open Every Day, as a Rule

The Publick House, now on Jobs Lane, is the long-running version of the same idea. It turned 30 this summer, and Sullivan told The Southampton Press that his main rule is to stay open:

"Year-round people, they know we're open every day. And being open every day is very important, because when it's snowing or it's 5 degrees out, you don't have to say, 'Hey, is the Publick House open today?'"

He has made the same promise about the menu. Whether it is the height of summer or deep February, he says the Publick House will offer the same quality at the same price. Sullivan also said some of his staff have been with him for between five and 30 years.

The same approach works for shops. Roy and Polly Stevenson have run Stevenson's Toys & Games for 25 years. The Southampton Press reports that the store stays open year-round and gets a lift from the holiday season.

Filling the Weeknights

Some places keep the room open and then give regulars a reason to come in on a Monday. Namiro Sushi at 76C Jobs Lane reopened on May 8 after a fire in October 2025 and a full renovation, The Southampton Press reported. Its website says it is now open seven nights a week. According to Dan's Papers' October roundup, it has a different deal for most of the week this fall.

The same roundup lists a brunch punch card at Claude's inside the Southampton Inn: buy four breakfast or brunch entrees and the fifth is free. A punch card only pays off for people who come back regularly, so it is aimed at year-round customers.

The Same Argument Behind the Liquor Store

The size of the off-season customer base also came up before the State Liquor Authority this summer. In a story published July 21, 2026, The Southampton Press reported that the authority had approved Citarella Gourmet Market's application for a liquor store next to its Hampton Road market. Similar requests had been denied in 2015 and 2021. According to the same report, owners of several village wine and liquor shops testified at the hearing that off-season business had been difficult in recent years. The Press described the planned selection as upscale wines and spirits from France, Italy, South Africa and New Zealand, with a focus on New York products. The story did not give an opening date.

What's on the Calendar Through December

Cultural venues are adding to the off-season schedule too. Here is what is set from now through early December, in date order:

1. October 13, 5 to 7 p.m. The Wobst Family Donation Ceremony at the Southampton History Museum, 17 Meeting House Lane. RSVP is required and space is limited.
2. October 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two exhibitions are listed at the same museum address: Artifacts of Honor: Veterans' Uniforms & More and Stephen Sayre's American Revolution.
3. October 23 to 25. Center Stage performs The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play at Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane. Shows are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
4. October 23 and 24. A&G Dance holds a Pumpkin Party on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a Halloween Party on Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m., both listed by Southampton Cultural Center.
5. October 24, 1 p.m. Little Lucy's Halloween Pet Parade starts in Agawam Park at 51 Pond Lane and follows Main Street and Jobs Lane. The Village's Fall 2026 newsletter lists music, costume awards, vendors, food and adoptable animals.
6. October 27, 5 to 6 p.m. Fall Health Reset with Peggy Kraus at Southampton Arts Center. Admission is free.
7. October 30, 7 to 10 p.m. A Halloween Silent Disco at Southampton Arts Center. Costumes are encouraged.
8. November 1, 2 to 4:30 p.m. East End Jazz presents "The World of Jazz Guitar" at Southampton Cultural Center.
9. November 28. The Parade of Lights steps off at 4:30 p.m., followed by the 5:30 p.m. tree lighting in Agawam Park, holiday windows around the village, and fireworks.
10. December 1, 4 to 5 p.m. Cookie decorating with South Fork Bakery in the Children's Program Room at Rogers Memorial Library. Registration is required.

Running alongside all of this is East End Collected 9, a show of Suffolk County artists at Southampton Arts Center through December 27. The Chamber of Commerce calendar lists hours of noon to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday.

Union's first weekend at 256 Elm Street had a band booked for each of the three opening nights.

If you'd like to talk about which Southampton Village streets stay busy after summer, and what that means for a property you own or are considering, The Tunick Team is glad to walk through it with you. Request a Private Hamptons Consultation.