Can Westport's Shoreline Stay Open Past Summer? This October Will Tell

"Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for the few months in the summertime." Maurizio Ricci said that to Inklings while explaining why Romanacci was leaving Old Mill Grocery & Deli after three years. He and his brother Graziano hosted a farewell party on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 29. The next morning, the counter at the corner of Compo was dark.

Two days later, the dogs were back on the sand. That's the usual changeover at Compo. It feels different this year because nearly every open question on Westport's shoreline comes down to one thing: can a beach business support itself from October through April? Old Mill's next operator, the zoning change that would shape it, and the newly reopened Inn at Longshore all depend on that answer.

The Corner Store Problem

Start with what Romanacci actually said, since the reasons matter for whoever comes next. The Riccis named slower winter business and their new Darien location as the reasons. On 06880, Dan Woog reported that they enjoyed their time and did not lose money. The store wasn't losing money. The problem was that a few busy summer months didn't bring in enough to make the whole year work.

They also had a long fight over their beer and wine license, including three lawsuits. In February 2026, a judge overturned the license the Planning & Zoning Commission had granted. Maurizio Ricci was direct about how much that mattered. "We decided it wasn't worth the fight, but it's not the cause of not renewing our lease."

The building is owned by Soundview Empowerment Alliance, a nonprofit formed in 2022 to keep the landmark from being torn down. The building is 107 years old. In mid-September, SEA co-founder Ian Warburg told the Westport Journal the group was "in active discussions with no fewer than four very capable and experienced groups." What SEA wants is clear from how he described it to Inklings:

"We're looking for somebody who really has an understanding of the context that this business exists in and understanding the community, so that they're really designing an offering that really matches the needs of the community, not just in summer, but year round."

Romanacci left over the slow season, so the slow season is SEA's top priority. No successor had been named as of early October. SEA has said it hopes to reopen fairly quickly.

The Vote That Slipped

A year-round tenant needs the rules to allow a year-round business, and those rules haven't been settled yet. Text Amendment #875 and Map Amendment #876 cover 222 Hillspoint. The hearing opened Sept. 17 and was continued to Oct. 5. According to the town's published draft, the new district would allow grocery stores, delis, retail food establishments, restaurants, cafés and taverns. Outdoor eating would have to stay within 25 feet of the main building, and a retail food establishment could sell alcohol for on-premises consumption. The map amendment would move the Old Mill parcel from Residence B into the new district, but only if #875 passes.

SEA said before the vote that it was hoping for a yes on Monday. Then on Oct. 5, the commission canceled its public hearing because not all members could attend. 06880 reported that the next meeting is Oct. 19. We haven't seen confirmation that the Old Mill item is on that agenda. For now, the four groups talking with SEA are pitching for a space whose allowed uses are still undecided.

Warburg's comments show why the vote matters so much. A café with outdoor seats and a glass of wine at dinner gives an operator more ways to bring people in during November than a sandwich counter does. If you have a view on the proposal, the town calendar for the Oct. 19 meeting is where to look next.

Who the Beach Belongs to Now

On the sand, the off-season comes with clearer rules than the zoning does. Under the town's notice dated Sept. 29, dogs are allowed on Compo from Oct. 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. Dogs must be leashed everywhere except the signed off-leash area south of the pavilion, which includes South Beach. They are not allowed in the pavilion, on the playground or on the walkways, and the fine for leaving waste behind is $77. The town's general Compo Beach page still says dogs must be leashed, with no mention of the off-leash area. The newer notice is the one in effect. Dogs remain banned from town athletic fields and playgrounds all year.

Parking changed on the same day. Beach emblems and daily fees apply only from May 1 to Sept. 30, so the lot is free now. Some things did close. The two reservation-only fire pits at South Beach ended their season Sept. 30. The town's beach rules still ban open burning unless both Parks & Recreation and the Fire Marshal sign off.

So for the next six months, Compo is free, mostly full of dogs and their owners, and short on food. That's the off-season market an Old Mill operator would be serving.

A Year-Round Dining Room at Longshore

The Inn at Longshore is the shoreline's other big off-season bet, and this one is already open. The Inn closed in January 2025 for its first renovation in 40 years and reopened Aug. 8. Inklings put the cost at about $8 million. Longshore Hospitality, which 06880 describes as Delamar-affiliated, runs it under a 30-year lease with the town. Michael Ryan is the managing partner. Under the lease, the operator paid for the renovation and the town receives 18.8% of the Inn's gross revenue. That gives Westport a direct financial interest in whether people show up on a weeknight in February.

The building dates to 1890 as a private estate. The redesign adds a Gatsby-era theme, inspired by the idea that F. Scott Fitzgerald's Westport summers looking out at Longshore helped shape the setting of his 1925 novel. The first wedding in the renovated Inn took place Sept. 11. 06880 says the ballroom, deck and lawn are the most visible changes. The porte-cochère is smaller than before, and the big tree at the entrance is still standing.

For anyone who isn't planning an event, the way in is La Plage, the Inn's waterfront restaurant and oyster bar. The Inn's dining page lists weekday lunch, weekend brunch from noon to 3, and dinner every day. La Plage's own site gives slightly different closing times, so call ahead before you go. If you still think of the dining room as Pearl at Longshore, that name is out of date. La Plage is also one of the 21 places in Westport Restaurant Week, which runs Oct. 4 through 18 with prix-fixe menus.

The Longshore Off-Season Calendar

The rest of Longshore follows its own schedule this fall. Here's what's open and when things close.

Boats come out of the water in November just as the paddle courts are getting busy. Longshore never really closes for the season. The crowd just moves from the water to the courts and the dining room.

The Sand Itself Is on the Agenda Too

The longest-range decision concerns the beaches themselves. At an Oct. 1 forum, Parks & Recreation went over restoration options for Compo Main, Compo South, Old Mill, Burying Hill and Canal. Estimated costs ranged from $14.1 million to $54.5 million. Trucked-in sand, not dredging, was described as the feasible approach for now. The forum was for discussion only. Parks & Recreation Commission chair David Floyd said he hoped construction on whichever option is chosen could start in late 2027.

Taken together, these decisions follow the same logic. A beach the town is weighing a multimillion-dollar restoration for, with a restored Inn sending part of its revenue back to Westport, makes a stronger case for a corner store that stays open all year. SEA is looking for that kind of operator for Old Mill, and the Oct. 19 P&Z meeting is the next date to watch.

Changes like a reopened Old Mill and a renovated Inn can affect how buyers see the streets around Compo and Longshore. If you live near the shore and want to understand how that might show up in your home's value, the Marion Filley Team can walk you through it. Start with Get My Home Valuation, and we'll follow up with what we're seeing on the shoreline this season.