STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Award-winning brisket and succulent ribs from Juicy Lucy will soon be a whisper of smoke.
The barbecue concepts of Ocean Breeze and Eltingville will close on Dec. 31, said co-owner Richie Holmes. However, he will keep the takeout-only venue in Annadale open. Holmes said the DiFara Pizzeria and Juicy Lucia operation at 100-102 Lincoln Avenue “will continue at the moment.”
The latter Grant City business has been open since the spring but has received its liquor license just last week. Di Fara pizzeria is a 57-year old stalwart parlor of New York City, established in Midwood, Brooklyn.
Holmes delivered the Juicy Lucy news to staff on Thursday. He wanted to keep the crews working through the holidays.
He told the Advance, “I want people to flood Juicy Lucy. I want to keep everyone staying on through the holidays. Come by. Have a milk shake. But come the first of the year I will cease to exist.”
Juicy Lucy at 809 Father Capodanno, formerly John and Joe Toto’s restaurant, opened about four years ago in a building with a legacy of well-known watering holes. In 1962, the place was called Toto’s. It eventually became the Waterfront Cafe, then Hartley’s and Kennedy’s. The structure burned down and was rebuilt to house Joe & John Toto’s in 1982. Hurricane Sandy knocked it down in 2012, yet the Toto family revived it once again.
John Toto retired from the business in 2018 and, after over a million dollars in renovations, Juicy Lucy was born on July 1, 2019. Since then, Staten Islanders have experienced in-house smoked meats, a practice suspended by the Department of Health due to emissions concerns. Holmes moved the smokehouse but continued the tradition of authentic Texas-barbecue-style. Over the life of the business, he injected ice cream onto the menu courtesy of Holmes’ ice cream truck business. During the pandemic, the entrepreneur made national news with a drive-in movie format and Juicy Lucia, the Italian alter-ego of the BBQ menu.
The second Juicy Lucy opened in the summer of 2021 at 4318 Amboy Road. The 67-seat restaurant came to the former home of Smashburger, a franchise outpost that lived for five years. The address’ layout subsequently reflected the prior restaurant’s footprint with a partially open kitchen on display behind the service counter.
WHY IS JUICY LUCY SHUTTING DOWN?
Holmes said the decision to close comes from repercussions of the pandemic shutdowns, out-of-control food and labor costs and a “brutal economy.” Recent news of state-owed back taxes on his business didn’t help, he said. But ultimately, it’s the overall business climate that Holmes finds disconcerting.
“So that’s why I just made the decision. I think it’s just a better move for right now. ...I’m licking my wounds. I’m the first ship to fall,” said Holmes, who added a prediction on more small food shop owners to shutter in the next three to six months.
He underscored that Juicy Lucy would honor all gift cards and encouraged fans to use them before the 31st.
“My father taught me the best way to get out of a hole sometimes is to stop digging. Thank God I have a background in real estate. This is something I picked up as a passion. I will rise above. I love Staten Island. They supported me. They came out. From a business perspective it makes no sense to continue this way,” said Holmes.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
