New Restaurant Seeks Fresh Start in High-Turnover Location

Mike Schumm, owner of Ara International Grille and Bar, is trying to bring fine dining to a location that has seen a lot of turnover in the past decade. And so far, the returns are good.

"Plenty of tables sit there for two or three hours," he said, enjoying a selection of dishes that you won't find together on most menus, as well as wines from eight countries.

But time will tell whether the eatery outlasts it predecessors at the location, located at the corner of Route 347 and Jericho Turnpike in St. James.

Schumm co-owns the place with longtime friend and business partner Dino Vlacich, who also serves as Ara's executive chef. Vlacich comes from a family in the restaurant business and has been a chef for the last 20 years; Schumm owned a number of different companies that he expanded and sold. He currently works in real estate, which provides him a certain savvy that helps him make decisions about his new business, he said.

"Seventy-five thousand cars pass here a day," Schumm said. He’s studied the demographics of the area. “It's a white collar area, professionals who dine out. These are people that make at least $100,000 a year, and most are between the ages of 36 and 56."

While it was unoccupied for five years prior to Vlacich and Schumm’s leasing of it in May, the building has had a few identities over the last 10 years. It was originally a strip club called the Brass Monkey, which burned down and was rebuilt in 2000 to become Intermezzo, an Italian restaurant. The owners changed the name to Capo before closing in 2006. The latest change is a welcome one for area residents looking for something other than “another Italian place in Smithtown,” Schumm said.

"Everything we try to do is different - the name, the menu, the service, the environment," said Schumm. Large trees divide the floor-level atrium of the three-floor restaurant, and long pieces of fabric hang from its high ceiling.

Appetizers and entrees are inspired by a variety of international styles to produce a menu that is diner-like in its diversity, including plates of duck and lamb that should only be done if done well, Schumm said. The calamari is grilled, not fried – nor is anything else; all the dishes at Ara are sautéed or grilled, no frying or processed foods. The hostess is instructed to keep notes in the computer system so that return customers are addressed with familiarity and have their preferences known before they say anything.

The menu and décor are mainly Vlacich’s vision, according to Schumm, and much of the work of putting the place together was hands-on – they installed the ceiling, hung the fabric and did most of the painting themselves, and the menu consists of recipes that Vlasich has “perfected over the last two decades.”

Ara was Vlasich’s idea, Schumm said; after his own restaurant, Mio’s in Roslyn, burned down four years ago, Vlasich went to work at Luce Ristorante in East Norwich. When Luce was acquired by new owners, Vlasich was unsure about his future there and began thinking about another place of his own. He asked Schumm for help, as the two had developed a friendship ever since Schumm’s meat company made deliveries to a restaurant where Vlasich worked years ago. While both men retain their previous jobs, they are excited about what they’ve built here.

“It’s been an overwhelmingly positive response,” said Schumm. “People say they love the food and the atmosphere. It’s a warm, cozy place they can come, relax and have a nice meal and a bottle of wine.”

Friday and Saturday lunches have been packed, said manager Debbie Hartmann, and reservations have been necessary for dinner on the weekends. Word of mouth has been a significant factor in Ara’s success so far, Hartmann and Schumm said.

“Many people know the place as a restaurant,” said Hartmann.

Heather and James Lugo of Patchogue, friends of Schumm’s for about a year, have been to Ara six times in the last three weeks.

“We were here last Saturday,” James said. “The appetizers were incredible and they were playing nice lounge music – you felt a real city vibe. The martinis and special drinks are amazing.”

Heather said she likes the portions for the price, and is more than happy with the choices available. The couple noted that the atmosphere is just as much of a draw, though.

“It’s a hip place. You like to say, ‘We’re going to Ara – we’re going to the atrium at Ara,’” James said. “We’re looking forward to coming here.”