Business & Tech

At Jake Starr Cafe, Everything Old is New Again

Scott Koppelman returns to reinvent restaurant he opened in 1990.

In pursuit of other interests two years ago, Scott Koppelman sold Strawberry Fields, the deli/cafe he had owned for the previous 19 years.

He found he missed the place. So much so that when he had the opportunity to retake ownership, he did just that, and opened the restaurant as Jake Starr Cafe in February.

"I love being back," Koppelman said. "I love coming to work."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

He's made lots of changes to the menu and decor. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is head chef Jose Beltran, who has been with Koppelman for the past 10 years.

"He pretty much takes charge," Koppelman said of Beltran. "He handles everything in the kitchen."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The place is still a bit of a work in progress. Koppelman has big plans, including obtaining a beer and wine license and adding an open mic night and live music. The menu will soon feature tapas, a tuna steak, and a New York strip steak, among other new additions.

The driving force behind the restaurant, though, has stayed the same: the people.

"All the people that come in, they're all friends," said Koppelman, who named the menu items after family members, friends, and friends' kids. "They know me, they know my family. It's kind of like the 'Cheers' of food."

The people were what first attracted him to the community 25 years ago. Koppelman, a New Jersey native, loved the small-town feel of Stony Brook.

"I liked the whole area," he said. "It's not like Nassau County. It's not like Jersey."

Check out our latest Jake Starr review.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here