Manor East Caterers in Massapequa, closed since 2013, eyes comeback with new owners

For more than four decades, the doors at Manor East Caterers in Massapequa were open for bar and bat mitzvahs, Sweet 16s, christenings, bridal showers and other special occasions. The longtime catering hall closed its doors — abruptly — after its eviction in 2013. Its closure prompted angry demonstrations from patrons who had parties booked there and were demanding refunds.

Now, the Town of Oyster Bay is considering a developer’s proposal to revitalize and reopen the property as Manor East once more. The venue has been vacant since it closed after a foreclosure auction. The new owners, Escube LLC, plan to restore the catering hall on Jerusalem Avenue under the Manor East name.

The former business operated for years without proper approvals, said Erik Snipas, a lawyer for the developers. To improve the property and relaunch the catering hall, the new owners need a special use permit to operate on the premises. 

Trespassers and water intrusion damaged the inside of the building. The town required the new owners — who purchased the property in 2021 — to shore up the structure, said Shashi Goyal, one of the owners of the one-acre plot.

“The community is in support,” Goyal told Newsday in an interview. “They want this to come back because they have memories" of the catering hall, which opened in 1970.

Once a community hot spot

Manor East is one of a handful of iconic Long Island catering halls to shutter in recent years, including Chateau Briand in Carle Place, the Woodbury Country Club and the Huntington Town House in Huntington Station, Newsday has reported. After it closed more than a decade ago, the Manor East property went from being a community hot spot to a community problem, Goyal said. 

“The building was kind of falling apart,” Goyal said. “It was a nuisance for the neighborhood.”

Work to fortify the building finished in 2022, and since then, owners have been working with neighbors to address concerns — particularly over parking — to advance the project, Goyal said.

Snipas said during a town board meeting last week that “the catering hall has gone from an active site to a site that has clearly seen better days.”

The business weathered a series of financial troubles toward the end of its run. Manor East filed for bankruptcy four times between 2008 and 2012. The sudden closure left customers questioning where to turn as they demanded refunds for pre-booked events, Newsday has reported. 

Parking concerns

Members of the Oyster Bay Town Board expressed concern over parking at peak times if the catering hall were to reopen. They asked the owners to sign an agreement with a local business to allow the catering hall’s valet to use an adjacent lot for overflow parking.

Councilwoman Laura Maier said the catering hall had used a nearby lot that is now a 7-Eleven for overflow parking.

The town requires the catering hall to offer 69 parking spaces, and the developers' plans call for 70, Snipas said.

“I understand you have the required number of spaces … but when those occasions do occur, we don’t want this to become a problem into the neighborhood,” Councilman Steve Labriola said during an April meeting.

Goyal said the owners made a deal with a nearby dentist's office to allow overflow parking there.

The new site plan would accommodate around 190 guests, Snipas said. The town board left the public comment period open until May 8.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ