From dishwasher to nightlife king – Scottie Campbell has spent 33 years turning Long Island waterfronts into cultural landmarks. In this episode of Staying Hungry, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with the man behind Dublin Deck, Harbor Crab, Salt Shack, and The Boatyard at Tobay Beach to unpack how a kid from Patchogue built a multi-concept hospitality empire.

Scottie shares what he wishes he’d told his 20-year-old self – from scaling seasonal monsters to keeping teams loyal, reading cultural shifts before they happen, and why the real win in nightlife is often found in the daylight: real estate, relationships, and reinvestment. You’ll hear how Patchogue’s “Alive After Five” blueprint became the model for reviving entire downtowns, how speakeasies are redefining post-dinner traffic, and why food is now the headliner in the age of bottle service.

For operators, restaurateurs, and anyone chasing the next evolution in hospitality, Scottie breaks down how to balance nightlife energy with long-term business discipline, why owning your dirt (or your longevity) changes every deal, how to price, staff, and program high-volume waterfront venues, how to turn POS data into both a theft deterrent and forecast engine, and how to create midweek cash flow through music, memberships, and moments.

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open: “I’m smashed”—the hat story

01:09 Welcome + guest intro (Scottie’s 33 years, first buy-in at 21)

04:10 The Dublin era (Down, Up, Over) and 90s club economics

09:35 Why food wins now: regulations, guest expectations, and margin mix

12:22 Dublin Deck & Harbor Crab: seasonal scale, marina math, and a $2M reinvest

16:58 Patchogue’s playbook: Alive After Five, chambers, and housing as demand engine

22:40 Tap Room origin & letting partners run—owner bandwidth vs. brand growth

27:05 New builds: Amsterdam (revamped Meatball), Millie Smashburger, Aces & Eights speakeasy + membership model

33:11 Programming that sells: Sessions house-music nights, ticketing, and bottle strategy

38:44 Drinks are changing: RTDs, seltzers, and the cannabis coexistence question

44:30 Tech stack: Toast, cashless shift, cameras, and promo via lists + IG collabs

49:18 Hiring, culture, and boomerang staff—how to get them back each summer

53:02 Giveback ops: Kris Kringle fund & Home for the Holidays service day

58:41 Owner hindsight: save earlier, drink less, choose partners wisely

1:02:10 Lightning round & where to find Scottie’s concepts