Mold Remediation in Mohegan Lake, NY

Jeanne Muchnick

Augie's Prime Italian Steakhouse, a fixture in Mohegan Lake for 16 years, permanently closed April 5. The announcement was made on their Instagram page.

Another restaurant, yet unnamed, will take its place.

"Sixteen years ago, in the midst of a stock market crash, we did something a little crazy," owners (and husband and wife) Audrey Hochroth and Sal Barone wrote in their post.

"We opened a restaurant. We weren't just starting a business, we were creating a space for the neighborhood to gather, and what became a home away from home.

"From countless lobsterfests and prime rib nights, Augie's Idol to jeep giveaways to the ever-evolving bar, lounge, loft and patio, every corner of Augie's holds a memory.

"We've watched our team grow, made lifelong friends and shared in moments big and small. Even through COVID, we found ways to stay together, fueled by the energy of the community."

The couple said closing their Italian restaurant was bittersweet but they remain grateful for "every meal shared, every laugh exchanged and every person who made Augie's what it was."

They also added how happy they are the building will continue to serve the neighborhood when the new spot opens.

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Jeanne Muchnick

Another Westchester spot devoted to craft beer is closing.

Argonne Rose Brewing Company, a gastropub in Mohegan Lake, will serve its last pour Feb. 9. With this, Westchester has lost three craft beer locations in the last month: Sim Coe Beer Bar in Scarsdale and Alternative Medicine in Mount Vernon, both of which closed in late December 2024. Also closed late last year: Miles, the Prince in North White Plains, which had a brewery downstairs.

Argonne Rose was known as much for its food and beer as it was for its space — St. George’s Church, which dates to 1919. The brewery/restaurant opened Dec. 31, 2022, taking over what had previously been The Winery at St. George.

The focus, along with boasting a gothic backdrop of beamed ceilings, stained glass windows, a bar made out of two pews and majestic chandeliers that rival something out of Harry Potter, was beer. Specifically beer from the Argonne region of France. There were also lots of sharable snacks in addition to live music and other events.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure," the owners wrote in an Instagram post Jan. 29. "From the beginning our goal was to create a space where great food, drinks and community came together through events and live music — and we are proud to have achieved that.

"A huge thank you to the amazing team we've had the privilege of working with ... A special thank you to the New York/Westchester brewing community for being such a welcoming, supportive and amazing group."

According to Jeff Spychala, who owned Sim Coe Beer for two years and was at Gun Hill Brewing in the Bronx before that, the craft beer business is in "an interesting space right now both nationwide and locally."

Westchester may be 'oversaturated' with breweries

"The market has been oversaturated with breweries for a while now and 2024 is the first time in a long time that more breweries are closing than opening across the country," Spychala said.

Because of Westchester's proximity to New York City, the area has easy access to a number of world class breweries. But that also means more local bars won't survive.

"Between greedy landlords. (I got very lucky with landlords who treated me very well), ever more expensive insurance that you can't use anyway (got very unlucky with insurance that treated me terribly), and the price of goods continually going up, it's getting more and more difficult to be an independent business owner," Spychala added.

"That said, Westchester has a very dedicated and knowledgeable craft beer community (both industry and enthusiasts). But they're spread out throughout the county so it's difficult to have a central location for them all to meet and drink regularly. And Westchester just doesn't have enough people to spread that craft beer crowd out that much. Regular foot traffic is also often hard to come by in a car focused suburb, so you can't really expect a lot of random pop ins as well."

Spycha said it seems the future of craft beer in Westchester is in full service bars that also offer craft beer, places that do craft beer in addition to another product, or a place that doesn't rely on craft beer to be their main money maker.

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