Whalehouse Point restaurant gets the go-ahead to begin construction

Whalehouse Point Restaurant & Bar at Watch Hill has received approval from the National Park Service, which operates Fire Island National Seashore, to begin construction on a long-awaited new building, Whalehouse Point co-owner and general manager Doug Biviano said.

“It’s been a long process for sure, but we are grateful to move forward and bring one of the best and sizable bayview restaurants on Fire Island,” Biviano said in an email to the Long Island Advance.

Construction will begin on Oct. 14, Biviano said. The goal is to have the building open in time for summer 2026, he said.

The original building was destroyed by fire in September 2019, and the restaurant and bar have  been operating outdoors under a tent ever since.

The new building will seat about 60 people indoors. There will be additional restaurant seating outside, as well as an outdoor bar area.

Whalehouse Point is a popular destination for day trippers from the mainland who come by boat or on the Watch Hill ferry from Patchogue.

“Watch Hill is one of Patchogue’s hidden treasures,” said David Kennedy, director of the Village of Patchogue’s Business Improvement District.

The new restaurant building will enhance the experience for visitors to Watch Hill and encourage more people to visit that part of Fire Island, Kennedy said.

It will “take Watch Hill to another level,” he said.

In addition to Whalehouse Point Restaurant & Bar, the owners, LoveFINS, also operate marinas at Watch Hill and Sailors Haven, general stores and outdoor cafés and bars at both locations, and camping and glamping facilities at Watch Hill.

The new building was designed by New York City-based Rise Projects.

“We’d like to thank and acknowledge the NPS, Fire Island National Seashore, Rise Projects (architect), LoDuca Associates (Blue Point), Craftsmen Fence (Moriches) and Island View Marina (Patchogue) for their help and logistics to get us to this point,” Biviano said in an email.  “And of course, we’d like to thank and acknowledge our staff as well, who have endured the extremes of weather running outdoor restaurants on the seashore.”

More than 2.2 million people visit Fire Island National Seashore each year, according to the National Park Service.