62 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2020
MAIN DISH
THE BENCH BAR AND GRILL
CREATIVITY AND ALCOHOL
By CJ ARLOTTA
Taking over the ownership of a restaurant
amid a pandemic is simply bad
timing, but with a little creativity and
some alcohol, a restaurateur can make
the best of an unfortunate situation.
That was the case for Marios Patatinis,
who recently purchased The Bench Bar
And Grill in Stony Brook with a couple
of partners and also owns Sweet Mama’s
and Grandpa’s Shed.
“The COVID-19 pandemic forced us
and others restaurants to think outside
the box,” says Patatinis. “Outside
of our food, which can be ordered to
go through several platforms, our
customers were missing out on our
cocktails, so it just made sense for us
to get creative and do something fun.”
The Bench’s management team put their
heads together — while keeping 6 feet
apart, of course — tossed some ideas
around and ultimately settled on the
concept of packaging to-go cocktails in
24-ounce mason jars, which hold two
and a half drinks.
The Bench’s to-go cocktail menu lists
three drinks: 3V-Rita classic margarita,
a rum punch dubbed the patriot, and
what’s known as shepherds-ade, made
up of vodka, homemade lemonade,
seltzer, and Arnold Palmer Iced Tea,
and garnished with fresh blueberries.
One of the challenges The Bench has
been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic
is operating during rush hour
with a limited staff. The bar and grill
receives many of its to-go orders during
a three-hour window in the evening.
“We're banging out an average of about
50 to-go cocktails a night,” he says.
The response has been incredible, Patatinis
says. Many of The Bench’s customers
have kept their mason jars instead
of throwing them away, using them as
part of home decor, or to preserve food
or store other items.
Some restaurants on Long Island have
been offering to-go cocktails to partially
compensate for lost revenue as a result
of the COVID-19 outbreak. Many of
these restaurants, including The Bench,
plan on continuing to sell to-go cocktails
after the pandemic passes.
“We’re going to keep offering to-go
cocktails after the COVID-19 pandemic,
and build upon our current menu,” he
says.
The Bench Bar And Grill is located
at 1095 NY-25A in Stony Brook it
can be reached at 631-675-1474 or
thebenchbar.com
The Bench is serving up curbside
cocktails in mason jars.
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