Burgercade Opens In Riverhead With Burgers, Arcade Games, Nostalgia

RIVERHEAD, NY — A new chapter is unfolding for an iconic spot in downtown Riverhead: On Thursday, the new Burgercade had its soft opening at the site of the former LuchaCubano and, before that, the longtime Sunny's Riverhead Diner & Grill at 87 East Main Street.

Burgercade, which will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in July, with a grand opening scheduled for August, promises an affordable menu, an array of arcade games, and fun for the whole family.

Mattituck will have its own Burgercade in a few weeks, set up next to the concession area inside Mattituck Cinemas.

"We brought together cheap, quality burgers, a fast-food style menu, and nostalgia to reinvent the Riverhead Diner space. It’s a head-turner for sure," owner Marc LaMaina said. "We also license some space outside from the Town of Riverhead for a parklet style outdoor dining space. This was key in us reopening something here. Being able to dictate what our outside surroundings can look like — bright umbrellas, people eating and laughing and enjoying themselves — that’s how you change an environment. Give people a space they can enjoy and feel comfortable, and the rest should be history."

He added: "I’m a big believer in DTR and I’m praying this concept hits a home run. We believe in it."

LaMaina's last business at the location, LuchaCubano, a sandwicheria and rum bar, closed in December.

Looking ahead, LaMaina said at the time of the closure that he was "flirting with a few ideas" to pay respect to the former diner's rich heritage, "an ode to its namesake — it was a American diner in Riverhead for 89 years."

Despite the fact that LuchaCubano closed, LaMaina always believed in the promise of downtown Riverhead.

"We aren’t giving up hope on the possibilities of downtown Riverhead," he said at the time. "They aren’t many non-mom and pop shops on Main Street. We are the canary in the coal mine for a lot of folks watching from the sidelines."

LaMaina said he was looking forward with enthusiasm. "We are blessed with the team and foundation to take a hit, learn and adapt. So who knows?"

For years, LaMaina has brought his magic touch to a string of popular Lucharitos eateries.

The Center Moriches location of Lucharitos was a self-described overgrown field and an old farmhouse in need of some TLC before LaMaina broght his grit and vision. "And look now. It’s our diamond. Things take time. And the real growth is the ability to admit defeat and pivot. Which we are really, really, good at," he said.

Lucharitos has garnered a loyal clientele since the first location opened in Greenport. There are two new Lucharitos locations in 2023, one in Mineola and one in a location yet to be announced.

A new Lucharitos was unveiled in Melville last year, with a Center Moriches location launched earlier. Lucharitos also branched out to the concession stand of the Mattituck Cinema.

The new sites for the popular taqueria and tequila bars join the original Lucharitos location in Greenport and Little Lucharitos in Aquebogue — newly pivoted to Good JuJu's, which offers seafood boils and barbecue —as well as the Lucharitos Burrito Bar, which opened in Mattituck.

At the Mattituck Cinema, LaMaina has also introduced, axe-throwing, paint smashing, live wrestling, music, an upcoming teen night, and classic films — creating a place for families to make memories together.

"It’s my dream to be a success story in downtown Riverhead," he told Patch. "It will happen eventually. We shall see — we are always the underdog. Just how we like it."