Why is a restaurant employing a dozen or so locals, paying its share of taxes, and providing a valued service to its patrons, shuttered in this period of severe economic turbulence seems foolish? Unfortunately, that's exactly what the Town of East Hampton has done to the Hideaway Restaurant, a beloved and popular Mexican on West Lake Drive in Montauk.
The official reason is that while the dock-side eatery has a state liquor license and a restaurant permit from the county, it lacks a CofO and a site plan. Hideaway was part of a marina whose owners sought to diversify in order to weather a downturn in its boating business. Waterside restaurant within or near marinas are common across Long Island. It's smart business. But I guess that government officials in East Hampton are not up for creating win-win situations. Too bad.
Of course, when you look at the faces of the people losing their livelihoods, one begins to see another possible motivation. Truth is that government can be dumb. And it can be downright retarded during times of sharp demographic shifts.
Link: Season Ends Early at the Hideaway
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