Southampton's popular Steam Pub recently celebrated its 8th anniversary. Reaching the milestone in the middle of the pandemic inhibited any big fanfare at the former train station turned eatery; however, Owner Martin Hoeger shared with us some of the ways the Steam team has been using this time to get creative and plan for the future.

According to Martin, the stress of the past several months has lead many in the business to make changes in their career. At Steam Pub, this included a change in chefs. Chef Brendan Gillespie left the restaurant this summer, but a familiar face is back! Chef Michael Breslin, who was there when the restaurant opened, has returned as Executive Chef. And he's bringing some of his classic dishes with him.

“We really want to use this as an opportunity to really explore who we have been and who we’re going to be.”
– Steam Pub Owner Martin Hoeger on getting creative with where they go from here. 

In addition to these mouthwatering dishes by Chef Mike, a new fall menu means fresh cocktails for the season. Included in these seasonal cocktails is their incredibly popular Pumpkin Pie Martini. According to Martin, he's not sure how this favorite drink will travel (Note: Cocktails-to-go are still available!), but he's confident that there will be a fall drink for everyone – whether you're sipping it on the Steam Pub deck, inside the restaurant, or from the comfort of your home.

In fact, it's Martin's can-do attitude that has surely helped him to remain successful during these difficult times. When discussing the COVID-19 closures and restrictions, Martin talked a lot about businesses using this time to reinvent themselves. Pushing themselves to think out of the box, evaluate what they've been doing, and make changes for the future.

Martin's excited about the new menus they're working on for guests and stated, “Nothing's off the table. It's really fun and exciting in that mindset.”

Speaking of new, he recently signed a lease with Septa to have Steam Pub be part of the “Rails to Trails” project. This would mean a much larger outdoor deck and bar with easy access for future trail riders. While there's no exact date for the expansion yet, it's a step in the right direction. And best of all, the current deck will remain open during construction.

A new season is right around the corner, and we can't wait to see what's to come from Steam Pub and other local businesses.

“There's opportunity everywhere. You just have to look for it.”
– Steam Pub Owner Martin Hoeger 

As a reminder, Steam Pub is currently offering limited indoor and outdoor seating, takeout and delivery. The safety and comfort of their guests and staff is of the upmost importance. They're strictly adhering to the Board of Health's social distancing guidelines, meaning tables are spaced at least 6 feet apart, there is a maximum of 10 people for table seating, and masks are to be worn by staff (and guests when not seated.) Guests will enter at the front of the building and exit at the back. There are scannable QR codes at every table for the menu (or disposable menus by request), and seating is temporarily on a first come-first serve basis. As always, they are following thorough cleaning procedures.