Estia's Little Kitchen closes after building sale; owner says staff had known it was for sale

Estia's Little Kitchen, a Sag Harbor restaurant with a 27-year run, ended operations on Sunday, April 19 after employees walked out when the building housing the business was sold, the program reported. Owner and chef Colin Ambrose, interviewed on East End News, said he has been trying to sell the restaurant since 2017 and had expected the sale process to take years.

Ambrose said, "I have been trying to sell this restaurant for the last I mean, since 2017. So it's been 9 years since I first put it on the market." He described multiple letters of intent that did not close and said he was meeting with attorneys to determine what comes next in a career he called a series of chapters.

The closure prompted an outpouring of reaction on social media and a local couple launched a GoFundMe to assist displaced employees. Ambrose later met with his former staff to distribute severance funds he said he had set aside. In a group statement to East End News, employees said, "we appreciate what was given to the team and are thankful for the support during this transition. We wish him well. And at this point, we're simply focused on moving forward."

The broadcast noted that a crowd gathered on the final day for breakfast and lunch, and some patrons left with plates and mugs as mementos. Ambrose told the program he plans to work with an editor on a memoir and expects to spend time at Quail Hill Farm in the coming months.

The program did not report details of the building sale, buyer identity, or any formal notice timeline beyond the owner and employees' statements.