Local Perks at Shippy’s in Southampton

Everyone loves a good happy hour menu, and when I heard about Shippy’s version in Southampton, I had to go see it for myself. Every day from 3pm to 6pm, you can indulge in $7 wine, draft beer, and house cocktails and enjoy an assortment of $7 appetizers and bites. The hot German pretzel served with specialty beer cheese brought me right back to Oktoberfest in Munich. I didn’t think it could get any better until the hostess came over and asked if my table was from Southampton. After nodding our heads in confirmation, she pulled from her pocket what looked to be a credit card, and on it read “Shippy’s Local VIP Card.” She then informed us that with this card and its QR code, you can reach a VIP Opentable link designed to reserve the prime time tables for locals.

For a town that survives on its seasonal and tourist industry, it can be hard as a local to watch each year as your town fills with the traffic of beachgoers and the entourage of rosé lovers, but it’s concepts like that of Shippy’s VIP Local Card that remind you of where the heart of our community lies: in its local businesses. 

When speaking with Gabby Gangi, Shippy’s Marketing and Community Relations Manager, she said, “The Shippys Local VIP Card is an opportunity for local East End residents to have exclusive access to our restaurant. Our mission for this initiative is to cater to our devoted local customers by holding coveted reservation availabilities even during the high season. We encourage patrons to utilize their VIP card and ask servers about how to obtain one. Using this card also grants special perks.” For more information, please reach out to Gabby at [email protected] 

The history of Shippy dates back to the 50s when former United States Marine William Casgrain opened Shippy’s in 1954. It quickly became a local hangout for artists and celebrities alike. In 1978, Casgrain sold the restaurant to a German-born deli owner named Ed Neilsen and it’s through Neilsen that Shippy’s became Shippy’s Pumpernickel Restaurant that many of us have known and loved for years. Nick Neilsen, Ed’s son, purchased Shippy’s from his father in 1997 and ran the restaurant until 2022, when he then sold it to another Southampton local, John Betts. Betts has made many strides in updating and preserving the charm of Shippy’s, and it’s in many of these new proposals that we see his desire to pay homage to the bones and history of this incredible establishment. 

Make sure to check out happy hour at Shippy’s in Southampton, and if you’re a local, don’t forget to ask about a VIP card. Everything tastes better when it’s locally made.