Listen to this articleEver since they came here from Honduras, a pair of brothers have toiled in Long Island’s restaurant industry and dreamed of opening their own business.
Now, a quarter-of-a-century later, Willy Ventura Diaz and his brother Edgar Diaz, are planning to open their second food venture here.
The Diaz brothers leased a 3,200-square-foot restaurant space at 14 Bayville Ave. in Bayville, which had been the long-time home of Souvlaki Place, until it closed a few months ago.
Their new business will be called Sunset Fish & Lobster Market and Grill, which will feature a seafood market and restaurant with about 50 seats. The brothers are hoping to open the Bayville location in late May or early June.
The Diaz brothers hooked their first fish business opportunity about 18 months ago, when they purchased and began resuscitating a troubled market called Northport Fish & Lobster. Under the previous owner, the Northport fish store had fallen into disrepair and was shuttered by the Village of Northport in the spring of 2021 for unpermitted construction and health-related complaints.
Beginning in August 2023, the brothers invested a boatload of time and money to revamp the 2,000-square-foot store, creating a new menu of prepared foods, launching online ordering and catering, adding outdoor seating and improving the building’s interior and exterior.
“When we took it over it was a mess,” Willy Diaz told LIBN. “We fixed it up.”
It was a big risk for the brothers, who weren’t sure they could reel in the clientele that the fish market had lost.
“We didn’t know if the customers would come back,” said Edgar Diaz. “But everybody did, and we got many new ones, too.”
So far, it’s gone swimmingly at Northport Fish & Lobster, which just secured a beer-and-wine license from the New York State Liquor Authority. The brothers are also seeking a beer-and-wine license for their new Bayville spot.
The Diaz brothers have come a long way since they first came to Long Island, learning the restaurant business from the ground up. Willy Diaz worked at Barney’s Restaurant in Locust Valley for 20 years, starting there as a dishwasher, before moving up to the salad station and eventually becoming a line cook. Edgar Diaz worked at Iavarone Brothers in Woodbury for about seven years, working the deli counter before becoming a manager in charge of its fish market.
After making a splash in Northport, where Willy runs the kitchen and Edgar takes care of the business end, the Diaz brothers are excited to spread their fledgling seafood success to Bayville’s waterfront.
“The opportunity came, and I live right down the block from the store,” Willy Diaz said. “When it became available, we jumped on it. For what we do, I think it’s a perfect location.”
The fare at their new Bayville business will mirror what’s offered in Northport, including best-selling fresh seafood like king salmon, cod, flounder, shrimp and lobster, and prepared food, featuring crab cakes, fried shrimp, lobster rolls, their signature Fisherman’s Platter, and much more.
For the Diaz boys, their favorite part of the business in Northport is their relationships with those they serve, and they’re hoping that continues in Bayville.
“The customers are great,” Edgar Diaz said. “I love the community, and I think Bayville will be the same.”
Giuseppe Gregorio, Luca DiCiero and Nicholas Evangelista of NY Space Finders represented the Diaz brothers, as well as the landlord, Gasa Realty Inc., in the Bayville lease transaction.
