New owners of Euphemia Haye excited to save 50-year-old restaurant

Many Longboat Key residents shared their sorrow upon hearing that Euphemia Haye, a global fine-dining restaurant that had been serving a devoted clientele for more than 50 years, closed abruptly.

Rachel Ghormley especially felt the loss, considering her parents held their wedding reception there in 1982.

"I have some of my most cherished final memories with my parents here," she said. "We had our last Thanksgiving here with my father. It's been such a special place to me, and that's why it's so important to keep it alive."

Throughout the years, the restaurant remained dear to the family. She remembers visiting as a child and eventually bringing her own baby to the Haye Loft to reconnect with friends.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Anyone walking through the restaurant's multiple dining rooms can feel the decades of local history captured on site, evidenced by the collage of posters hung with care and the wall of wooden wine crates leading diners up to the second floor, which used to be the original owner's living space.

Ghormley said her husband, Jason, decided something needed to be done to save the restaurant.

"I broke down in tears when I got the news, and he simply said, 'Let me get to work,'" she said.

Ghormley joked her husband hasn't seen the kids in a month, but the hard work has been worth it to save a place that is special to residents throughout the Key as well. She said their support has been "overwhelming" during the reopening.

The restaurant has only changed hands a few times over the years. Leslie “Les” R. Buntin originally opened Euphemia Haye in 1975, naming it after his grandmother.

Ray and D'Arcy Arpke assumed ownership in 1980, and then longtime employee Amy Whitt purchased it in late 2021. The Ghormleys recently purchased both the restaurant and the wider property.

Photo by Dana Kampa

She said they don't plan to change the restaurant, though they will likely make minor updates to the wine offerings, specials and other details. But she is eager to explore what else the restaurant can offer to the community, like spearheading a Longboat Key food and wine festival.

"Our goal is to honor the legacy of Euphemia with renewed energy and love," she said.

This is her first foray into restaurant ownership, but Ghormley said she learned about the food industry when her father ran the Old World Cheese Shop in Bradenton.

Jason and Rachel bought a house on Longboat Key in 2020, which she said they did out of a desire to reconnect with her roots.

"I grew up in the Village and went to Anna Maria Elementary," she said. "Actually, Ray and D'Arcy babysat me. This is a very full-circle moment."

She said she also appreciates support from longtime staff members, one of whom texted her when the restaurant closed.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Billy Riley has worked at Euphemia Haye for years, remembering when it held only seven tables. He said the staff always considered it a compliment that many restaurant workers throughout the Key would come to Euphemia Haye for their own post-shift meals.

"After we served dinner, we would erase the chalkboard and put up a late-night menu for people from other restaurants who came here," he said. "That was a really fun time."

With Riley, the restaurant has 34 employees, all of whom worked there when it temporarily closed, or returned. Guest Relations Manager, Georgette Young, left in September and a chef who left 2 years ago, have both come back.

The restaurant continued to expand throughout the years with the help of the original owner, who cut the archway entrance to add the additional dining area.

"I'm just so happy that we're being given another chance," he said.

Ghormley said to keep an eye out for the return of live music nights and some special events celebrating the restaurant's 50th anniversary later this year.