Patchogue Businesses Recovering from Sandy

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, many businesses in the Village of Patchogue are still operational and are thankful.

Gail Hoag, executive director of Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, noted that most businesses are now open.

"Businesses on Main Street and North Ocean Avenue are open. We advise people visiting businesses closer to the water to please call ahead. We want everyone to be safe when travelling though and of course, we are concerned about the residents who are still without power," Hoag said. 

Due to safety concerns, the Halloween Happenings event to be held on Main Street earlier this week was cancelled. Friday night's debate between Rep. Tim Bishop and Randy Altschuler at the Congregational Church on Main Street has been cancelled.

Friday night's Chamber of Commerce fundraiser, Party at the Playhouse, which was being held at the Clare Rose Playhouse at St. Joseph's College has also been cancelled. All other performances at the Clare Rose Playhouse are still scheduled at this time.

Lori Belmonte, owner of The Colony Shop, said that business has slowed down considerably since the storm.

"People aren't ready to venture out just yet," she said. "People haven't had water, electric, or the ability to shower since Monday. Shopping is the last thing on their mind and we understand that." 

The Roast Coffee & Tea Trading Company, on the other hand, has seen a slight increase in customers this week.

"We've been very lucky. We were up and running very quickly. The staff has put in a lot of hard work to make sure that everything was put in order. We've had very little damage and lost very little inventory due to the power outages," said Evan Closson, co-owner of Roast. "Supplies are still a little tight. Some inventory shipments haven't been able to get thru and gas shortages are affecting our employees getting to work but we're making it work. Our customers have been very understanding."

David Bustamante, owner of Gallo Restaurant, said that business was OK immediately following the storm but has slowed down since.

"Monday and Tuesday we were closed. We didn't get any damage and we only lost power for a few hours so there was no loss to inventory. Wednesday was very good to us. It seemed that people wanted to get out for a little while and return to normal. Today has been kind of slow but it's probably because of the gas shortage. It's better to order out and stay put when you don't know when gas will be back. This may affect business all weekend," Bustamante said.

The Chamber office will be closed on Saturday but will be open Monday through Friday next week.