Restaurant Prime 516 Gears up For Success

Change is as inevitable as the tide.

Case in point: The ownership of popular Merrick steakhouse Brooks and Porter has recently changed hands and area residents can expect to see more than a few changes in the coming weeks, courtesy of a new management team boasting years in the food business.

Re-christened Prime 516, the re-vamped restaurant recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its grand opening, one attended by many local Town of Hempstead dignitaries and civic leaders.

Prime Five One Six co-owner Ronan McGuigan boasts more than a decade in the food service business, so it’s safe to say that the restaurant is in very capable hands.

"I'm originally from Ireland. I've been here for the last 16 years," he said. "Most of my restaurant experience has been in Manhattan, as well as [the experience of] my two partners."

When McGuigan and his partners heard that Brooks and Porter of Merrick was up for sale, they jumped at the opportunity.

"I like the area and I think it's a beautiful restaurant," he said. "The previous owners built this place from scratch – they pretty much turned every screw and hammered every nail. So, we started with a beautiful building itself. However, they were only open for dinner. We want to concentrate on lunch and brunch on weekends."

"I think there's great potential here. You've got the train station right here, the movie theater down the road," McGuigan continued. "Plus, there's definitely a market for a good steakhouse in this area and that's basically why we took this location."

Planned changes include some menu changes, most of which were already put into practice, and the eventual inclusion of a brick-oven for pizza.

With the current economy so harsh to small local businesses, there always looms an aura of doubt for any new establishment opening its doors. McGuigan, however, feels that the timing is just right.

"It can be good or bad," he said. "There's good deals out there. Sometimes people put a lot of money into a restaurant and it doesn't work out for them, so it's a good market for a buyer. But if you look at the numbers food service industry, especially the big chains, they've all seen increases since 2009. I think now is the right time to start."

Senator Charles Fuschillo, R-Merrick, attended the ribbon-cutting to help give a boost to a local entrepreneur.

"In this economy, it's important to support the downtowns," he said. "I'm just here to support the new owners in this establishment. It's great to see this."

Merrick Chamber of Commerce president Randy Shotland also voiced his support for Prime 516.

"It's an upscale restaurant that brings a new ambiance to the community," he said. "It's got a beautiful bar, good food, the prices are going to be moderate-to-high, but the quality will compete all day long with the North Shore. Shop locally and now eat locally."

McGuigan said that the changes he and his partners are implementing are sure to make Prime 516 more accessible to the residents of Merrick.

"We've brought our prices down a little bit to entice people in and we've changed our menu to make the concept more of an American Grill. We have a fantastic chef, a beautiful restaurant – you're talking Manhattan quality – in a family-driven neighborhood in Merrick and three great owners who will treat you like family," he said.

Correction: The name of the new business was previously reported as Prime Five One Six.