Hamptons restaurant owner Zach Erdem has split his popular 75 Main venue in two to separate wealthy longtime residents from young social media influencers.
The drastic redesign of the 225-seat establishment comes amid a quiet cold war in the affluent New York beach enclave. Longtime wealthy residents are resorting to secretive tactics to avoid ending up in the background of viral TikTok videos filmed by 20-something creators equipped with tripods and smartphone cameras.
The Hamptons, a group of seaside towns on the East End of Long Island, has long served as a summer playground for New York high society, business executives, and celebrities. Erdem, who has owned 75 Main since 2010, has built a major local hospitality business that currently includes two hotels, two nightlife spots, and three restaurants.
Disruptions caused by content creators became so frequent that Erdem took action to maintain harmony between his monied regulars and younger patrons attracted by viral videos of table-dancing diners.
"I want a Hamptons for everyone," Erdem told the Daily Mail. "We don't want to be exclusive for only the one percent."
Secrecy and Split Seating at 75 Main
When diners enter 75 Main, greeting staff immediately ask whether they prefer seating outside, in the front, in the main dining room, or in the back garden. Erdem designed a specific operational plan for every response.
Most of the area's wealthy residents opt for the back garden. The private outdoor space features its own dedicated entrance and restroom, allowing patrons to arrive, dine, and leave quietly without interacting with younger guests.
The setup ensures older diners can use the facilities without standing next to influencers touching up Rhode peptide tint on their lips while filming video content. The lip product line, created by Hailey Bieber's Rhode beauty brand, has become a staple among social media creators.
"They can come without seeing anybody," Erdem said. "Just walk and eat and leave via the back door. They don't need to see anyone or be seen by anyone."
At the same time, young creators strut into Erdem's venues carrying luxury Chanel bags and designer outfits, eager to post content online. Influencers such as Mariella Gregoria have been pictured outside 75 Main, while high-profile visitors including Kai Trump visited the restaurant last summer.
Many influencers make outrageous demands, asking Erdem to cover the cost of expensive meals in exchange for promotional posts on Instagram or TikTok. Erdem denies every request for free food, confident that creators will film videos about his famous establishment regardless.
"People want to come to the Hamptons, and they want to come in and just not spend too much money," Erdem noted. "The Hamptons are not cheap."
Demand for accommodation in the area remains high. Erdem stated that his two hotels are fully booked every day with standing waiting lists. When rare cancellations occur, hopeful guests gladly pay triple the standard rate to secure a room.
Clashing Dining Habits and Nightlife Demands
The two customer groups display starkly different dining habits and spending patterns inside 75 Main. Younger visitors clamor for tables in the back dining room near the DJ booth, often waiting hours in line to get inside.
During evening hours, the back dining room shifts into a rowdy club environment where young patrons dance on tables and chairs while swinging napkins in the air. Erdem observed that the high energy creates a lively atmosphere that keeps younger guests seated far longer than older diners.
"All the people dancing on tables and chairs all night, it turns to really a fun place," Erdem said. "And the younger crowd stays longer, spending more money than the old crowd."
By contrast, older monied patrons practice traditional "professional dining." They typically stay for an hour and a half to two hours maximum, ordering a shared appetizer, a piece of steak or fish, and an espresso before heading home.
Younger diners routinely refuse to relinquish their tables at the end of a meal, sometimes arguing directly with the maître d' manager. Erdem revealed that their final check average runs three times higher than that of their parents.
Erdem recently encountered a family at his restaurant and stopped to inform the parents that he had seen their daughter six times in a single week. "I'm like: 'Oh, your kids come here more than you!'" Erdem said. "So, it's basically that the kids are taking over the families, their credit cards, and they come in more than their families."
Cashflow Battles and Regional Backlash
Because younger guests bring massive revenue to 75 Main and the surrounding village, Erdem insists that stiff-collared local residents should stop trying to push them out.
"The one percent don't go out every night," Erdem told the Daily Mail. "The one percent don't shop every day. The one percent doesn't do the young crowd, the tourists, all the people that come in and bring the money to our village."
While youth party culture was historically associated with Montauk, the easternmost hamlet of Long Island, Erdem noted that the influx of young tourists and influencers has expanded across the entire Hamptons region.
The tension extends beyond Long Island to other elite East Coast summer destinations. On Nantucket, a wealthy island off the coast of Massachusetts, the Four Winds Craft Guild basket shop recently posted a "no influencers" sign in its storefront.
The sign provoked fierce backlash from online creators with hundreds of thousands of followers. Critics labeled the store's policy out of touch and sexist, arguing that it targets a career field largely dominated by young women.
While many coastal towns report frustration with tripod-toting tourists interrupting quiet village routines, Erdem remains committed to marketing through social media platforms.
"No one reads the paper," Erdem said. "No one's going to magazines: 'Oh, where should I go eat today?' Everyone goes on the phone, or go to TikTok, or go to Instagram, put #restaurants, everything will pop up, all the influencers post all the beautiful content that brings the people in your door."
"If I want to invest, I will definitely invest in an influencer," he added. However, Erdem drew one final boundary regarding who he welcomes to his Hamptons venues: "The people of Jersey Shore. Sorry, Snooki!"
