Business of the Week: Beehive
Correction: In the Business of the Week feature on Beehive in the July 5 issue of The Examiner there were several mistakes made. We incorrectly identified one of the original owners of Beehive in Mount Vernon as Peter Tiglias, when his name is Louis Tiglias and Peter Modroukas’ daughter is named Valerie, not Tami. Also, the Mount Vernon restaurant closed in the 1970s, not the 1960s. Below is a corrected version. The Examiner regrets the errors.
Armonk restaurants are buzzing about a restaurant on Old Route 22 that delivers the best in comfort food.
Beehive re-opened last December after an extensive 18- month renovation. The restaurant originally opened in 2006, though the family restaurant’s roots date back to the 1940s.
The original Beehive opened in Mount Vernon in the 1940’s, where it was co-owned by Louis Tiglias. The restaurant was a hit on 4th Avenue before it closed in the 1970s. Tiglias is the uncle of Peter Modroukas, who is co-owner of the restaurant with his kids, Valerie and Dean and his wife Ann. Peter is executive chef of the current Beehive.
Beehive is designed to look like an old country house, that would not be out of place in Europe. The menu, which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, is designed to fit the homey atmosphere the Modroukas’ wish to show off.
“You feel like you’re in someone’s home,” Dean Modroukas said. “We’re excited to be back up and running.”
The Modroukas’ have worked and run restaurants all over the state, including Manhattan, The Bronx, Dutchess County and Westchester.
“Our roots are here (in Westchester County),” Dean Modroukas said. “We are happy to be serving the North Castle community and the Westchester community.”
Beehive offers fresh food daily, including fresh fish on display. They get their fish from the Hunt’s Point market, and have won acclaim for their mussels served in Belgian pots, with fresh fish and mangoes.
Breakfast includes Brioche French Toast baked with nuts and fruit topped with rasberry sauce and the classic eggs benedict, along with various omelettes.
“Everything is made in-house,” Modroukas said.
The Modroukas’ Greek background does not go unnoticed with items like Uncle Louie’s Moussaka with bechamel, meat sauce and feta crumbles and chicken or pork soulvaki wrapped in a pita with housemade tzatziki sauce. A French dip with shaved roast beef has also been winning over customers. A children’s menu is also offered.
Peter Modroukas, who has homes in Yonkers and the Catskills, scouers the Hudson Valley looking for the best produce to offer. Aside from Hunt’s Point, the Modroukas’ also bring in seafood from New England. The shrimp they serve is from Central and South America.
Many of the recipes are old family recipes, or are recipes that were served at the original Mount Vernon Beehive. Like all restaurants, the current Beehive has had to deal with the economic downturn, but said it is all about giving value to the customer.
“We offer quality food at a good price,” Dean Modroukas said. “You come in and you feel like you’re at home, and you want to come back more frequently. It’s comfort food.”
The Modroukas’ said that with the long hours and stressful environment, running a restaurant requires a sense of humour and the ability to stay focused.
“You can’t have a bad day,” Modroukas said. “You have to make the customer feel comfortable.”
Modroukas, who lives in Scarsdale, said that Armonk has a good spectrum of families, and has a lot of quality restaurants. He liked that it is close to cities like White Plains and Greenwich, but also has a bit of a country feel.
“It gives us a good diversification,” Modroukas said.
Modroukas said he enjoys walking around his restaurant and seeing everyone enjoying his food. He said that while working with his family can have its moments, the family generally gets along.
“No family is without its differences,” Modroukas said. “We work as a team, it’s the key to our success. Our dad [Peter] is the commander, whatever he says, we do.”
Beehive serves breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. to close. The restaurant is located at 30 Old Route 22 in Armonk. For more information contact (914) 765-0688 or visit beehive-restaurant.com
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.