Pipin’s to re-open sooner than expected at interim location

The party’s not over for Pipin’s Pub.

Shortly after news broke that it would close for as long as two years so it could reopen as part of a new condominium being built on the site, owner Stephen Oliver announced that the decades-old watering hole could re-open as soon as October in a new “pop-up” location – the current home of Tiedye Pig/Circles Grill.

According to Oliver, who owns the the pub alongside Anthony Bartholomeo and Paul Pandolfi, the temporary space– located at 9023 Third Avenue – will be 100 percent Pipin’s.

“We’re [utilizing] the entire restaurant,” Oliver said, noting that, while he and his staff were busy surveying other restaurants for a part-time lease, an offer from those at Tiedye Pig/Circles Grill fell into his lap with a lease ready to be signed.

Perhaps most significant about the move, said Oliver, is the opportunity to keep both the Pipin’s name alive and the Pipin’s family together.

“The most important part to us is just keeping the flow going and keeping our staff intact,” said the local business-owner and Ridge native, stressing that his entire team – as well as his entire menu – will make the seven-block move once things are in order. “We thought it was the best thing to do.”

Oliver hopes the pub’s hiatus will be as brief as possible.

“It’s often been said that when a door closes, a window opens,” wrote Bartholomeo in a Facebook post announcing the interim move, “and, while we’re ecstatic to have been offered this very fortunate window, there is still a lot of work to do. As much as we’d love to be serving our famous Pipin’s burgers at the new ‘pop up’ location on September 1, it’ll be a little while before we can make that happen.”

Even so, many local residents were quick to rejoice.

“We all love Pipin’s,” wrote Facebook user Caroline Scafiddi Maring. “The staff is amazing; the people are awesome…Pipin’s has become my ‘Cheers!’ [I’m] looking forward to being part of [their] next adventure!”

Meanwhile, Pipin’s spent Sunday, August 30 pouring its last pints at 9701 Third Avenue – where the multi-generational family business has stood since 1969 – so that construction may begin on a $10 million development. The development, to be overseen by a still-undisclosed Ridge-based developer, is slated to include 20 units – 15 two-bedrooms and five one-bedrooms – as well as a bigger-and-better home-base for Pipin’s.

“We had a great send-off,” said Oliver, adding that “the place was packed” all of closing weekend – a milestone topped off with an afternoon of free pours for its most loyal patrons. “I’m blessed with a really great staff. Getting everything together is going to be mayhem, but it’s the right thing to do.”