When Nick Johnson opened The Clubhouse in New Hyde Park he said he wanted to bring Manhattan-style dining to Long Island without the high prices of New York City food.
“Not a lot of people decide to do these types of things in this area,” Johnson said, who opened his restaurant with co-owner Thomas Lee on Nov. 17. “Long Island only has corporate and diners but nothing in between.”
The Clubhouse, located on 377 Denton Ave. as part of the Spring Rock Golf Center serves as more than just a hangout for the golf crowd, Johnson said.
“There’s a little bit of something here for everyone,” Johnson said, who currently lives in Manhattan. “I picture this as a hangout.”
Johnson said he became involved with the food industry when he was 16 years old working as a bus boy in a Cheesesteak Factory and later moving on to work in food management at a resort restaurant in Switzerland for six years having studied hotel management in college. Johnson later opened a Bareburger in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen before pursuing his own business.
“I just like being in restaurants,” he said.
Johnson, originally a California resident, said his partner, Lee, found the New Hyde Park location upon Johnson’s return to the country and said it had a lot to offer.
“I like the amount of parking this location has,” Johnson said.
One of the perks of being located on the golf course, Johnson said, is not having to worry about noise.
“We can be as loud as we want because we’re secluded,” he said.
The Clubhouse offers a very specific menu with a twist, Johnson said.
“We’ve arranged our menu in a very creative way,” he said. “Everything on our menu is made fresh, by ourselves and not frozen.”
The restaurant offers outdoor dining during the summer season along with music to contribute to the Manhattan-style atmosphere, Johnson said.
Johnson said opening a restaurant like the Clubhouse has always been something he thought about.
“We always wanted to do this,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t have the opportunity until now.”
