Summer Heat Brings Hamptons Hunger Games and No Contingencies

We’re certainly not living in Panem here on the East End, but the Covid dystopia is fading and a new series of real-life Hamptons Hunger Games are catching fire in the local dining scene. As restrictions fall away and outdoor dining finds an even firmer foothold, my friends in the restaurant biz are anticipating getting absolutely slammed this summer. Remember, Europe is probably not an option this summer so get ready for the crowds.

One high-profile area restaurateur I know says demand for reservations couldn’t be stronger. They’re getting calls for tables all the way through Labor Day! In fact, this one particular restaurant group has stopped taking standing reservations rather than endure what was shaping up to be a booking nightmare. I’ve been told standing tables end up with one of three results—the customers show up, they don’t show up, or the reservation is given to someone else with a different number of diners, which can cause all sorts of problems at a packed restaurant. And if business is booming, who needs it?

“We see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Southampton Social Club, Union Burger Bar (UBB) and Union Sushi & Steak owner Ian Duke said, pointing out that he’s not surprised people are making reservations in anticipation of fewer restrictions and the possibility of this pandemic finally running its course. During what we hope are the takeout-and-delivery-only days of yore, Duke found great success in Southampton with his recent chicken to-go concept, The Coop, but times are a changin’. With brick-and-mortar dining now on the mend, he’s moving The Coop from its ghost kitchen on Elm Street to UBB on Bowden Square where he can feed fried chicken and wings to actual in-person customers. And Duke says “The phones are ringing.” 

Meanwhile, East Hampton Village just approved outdoor dining on a more permanent basis. Local restaurants, retail food shops and other eateries—including inns and hotels in residential neighborhoods—will be permitted to operate sidewalk café areas and private outdoor spaces between April 15 and November 15.

Needless to say, reservations are hot stuff right now. They’re beginning to look like Village beach passes—everybody wants them. So, if Hamptons restaurants don’t skip it altogether and continue to offer tables in advance, I wish you good luck actually getting one.

As they say on Panem, “May the odds ever be in your favor.”

Oh, and in case you were wondering, word is that private chefs are also in severely short supply. Perhaps curbside pickup will remain popular after all?

Forget the Contingency if You Want Your Deal to Live

Just like local dining and reservations, Hamptons real estate is on fire right now. But even in this roaring market, mortgage contingencies are a surefire deal killer. Yes, contingencies are pretty standard in purchase agreements but in peak season, sellers aren’t willing to risk going into contract only to have the deal fall through two weeks before Labor Day because a buyer can’t qualify for financing. It’s a bad look and a great way to lose all that summer heat. No one wants to wait another year when they’re ready to sell now. 

Bottom line: Buyers, be ready to buy. Sellers, there’s no shortage of demand, so make sure you take advantage of it.