Want the 'wow' factor at your wedding? Here's how these two brothers offer it in Hazlet

HAZLET - Growing up in Staten Island in a Greek family that owned restaurants and bars, brothers Kosta and Demetri Rexinis learned the ins and outs of the hospitality industry from an early age.

They’ve brought their longtime experience and passion for customer service to The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor, their Hazlet-based, family-owned wedding venue that's been creating unforgettable experiences for nearly 40 years.

“Our father John didn’t speak the language when he came here and his first opportunities were in the kitchen,” said Demetri, a Holmdel resident, of his family’s entrée into the hospitality business. “He eventually owned several restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Staten Island and Kosta and I grew up in the industry.”

Though the brothers learned all aspects of kitchen operations, “I especially loved cooking and my brother enjoyed front-of-house activities and the creativity of club ownership, but we both did everything,” Demetri said.

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Unbeknownst to them, their father’s vision would soon have them playing a much bigger role in the family business.

“During my first semester of college at Monmouth University in West Long Branch in the early 1990s, my dad got diagnosed with cancer and I left school, but he blessed Kosta and me with an opportunity. He purchased Club Abyss in Sayreville and listed Kosta, who was 21 at the time, as the owner,” Demetri said of the 15,000-square-foot space that opened in November 1992.

“Over the next few years, our dad allowed us to bring the club to the next level by letting us run the business and learn from our mistakes. He stuck with us and taught us to have patience,” he said, “and because he knew he wasn’t going to be here forever, he also encouraged Kosta and me to build a strong and trusting partnership and rely on each other.”

Though their beloved father passed in 1997, his investment in his sons paid off and helped them create a strong personal and professional relationship that propelled their success.

The brothers ran Club Abyss for over 20 years before selling it in 2014 and owned a string of other popular clubs and restaurants along the way, including Deko Lounge in Sayreville, Park East in Hazlet and Central Park/Mr. East in Roselle, and they currently co-own Over Easy Kitchen, which has locations in Marlboro, Holmdel and Fair Haven.

“We’re big into developing brands/concepts and then moving on to the next one,” Demetri said.

The one constant in their business portfolio, however, has been their ownership of The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor in Hazlet.

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'Energy of the party'

“Our parents owned The Gramercy since 1986, and growing up, Kosta and I worked there doing everything — from dishwashing to cooking, serving and bartending,” recalled Demetri of the chic 20,000-square-foot venue that hosts several hundred weddings and other private events annually. “That business is the mothership that’s been keeping us all together for almost 40 years.”

Run by their uncle George Kakounis (a partner in the family business) since 1997 and known as Lakeside Manor until a decade ago, when the brothers renamed it The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor to invoke a more New York City-style aesthetic, Demetri said that lessons from the pandemic drove them to redesign the venue to better support the next generation of brides and grooms.

“The days of food taking the spotlight at weddings are winding down, as modern couples are more interested in the atmosphere and experience at their reception,” Demetri explained. “Rather than 10 courses of food, it’s more about the energy of the party and ensuring that guests have a great time. We’ve found that many brides today even want the traditional cutting of the cake to be done more discreetly so that it doesn’t stop the beautiful event or music,” he said.

While their "sweet spot" is weddings involving 150 to 310 people, “we also host anniversary parties, christenings, sweet 16 parties, bar/bat mitzvahs and other celebrations seven days a week,” Demetri said.

“We attribute a lot of our success to the fact that we do one event at a time," he continued. "Wedding parties have the whole facility to themselves and all of our staff is there for them that day. Guests aren’t just a number to us, and one or more of our family members are always onsite to oversee the entire event and experience.”

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That team now includes their uncle George’s son (their cousin) Dean, who runs the facility as a partner alongside his brother Niko, who serves as executive chef.

Among other trends in the wedding venue space, “we’re hosting a lot more ceremonies onsite and have worked to elevate our property for that purpose because people want those Instagrammable moments,” Demetri said. In terms of their cuisine, “we offer all of the classics with a fresh and modern twist, but we can customize any type of menu based on our guests’ preference.”

In the end, he said that success comes from understanding their guests and creating great experiences.

“Coming from a nightclub background, we know how to read the room, pace activities and use lighting and other technology to make things special and memorable,” Demetri said. “We know how to create a great energy and vibe.”

With their clients hailing largely from Monmouth and Middlesex counties, Staten Island, Brooklyn, “and even North Jersey because they’re looking for something different that’s conveniently located,” Demetri said that the timing of weddings has also moved away from the once-popular June window.

“Today, the day, month and time of a wedding doesn’t matter as much and celebrants won’t dance, eat or drink less on a Tuesday versus a Saturday night,” he said. “There’s some financial benefit to clients by having a midweek wedding, but they’ll get top-notch food and service from us regardless.”

Ultimately, Demetri said, “today’s brides and grooms are throwing out the old playbooks and so have we. We’re not stuck in old traditions." That strategy has worked, he added, “and we’re booked almost every weekend for weddings in January 2025, which has historically been the slowest month for weddings and represents a great sign for our industry.”

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'Wow' factor

Though wedding venues were hit hard during the pandemic and rising food and other costs remain challenging — especially for hospitality outlets like The Gramercy, which quote and book events a year in advance — Demetri confirmed that things are beginning to feel normal again.

“Our main focus is on staying relevant and ensuring that we’re understanding the needs of today’s guests and the current labor pool,” he said.

Thankfully, “we have a great staff of 30 to 40 people at The Gramercy as well as outstanding leadership by Vicki Bowman, who’s been with us for 15 years, knows the business extremely well, and is a huge part of The Gramercy’s success,” Demetri said.

Looking ahead, “we’re always investing in the venue and are currently redoing our patio area, landscaping and other elements of our outdoor space to enhance our whole guest experience,” said Demetri, who works with his older brother to manage all tasks at hand.

“We just hope to continue what our parents started and extend it to our and our cousins’ kids to keep the family business going,” said Demetri.

Since 2016, the brothers have also partnered in Over Easy Kitchen (with fellow partner Frank Brusco) and are currently working to open two new restaurants — modern American bar/restaurant Madison in Old Bridge (with Brusco) and Italian restaurant/cocktail bar Culo Grusso in Sayreville (with fellow partners Anthony Cardinale and Joe Pisano) — this fall.

As for the jewel in their family’s crown, “there’s a 'wow' factor when guests walk through the doors of The Gramercy,” Demetri said. “We’re so humbled that they’ve made our facility part of their special day and are committed to delivering the event of their dreams.”

And after nearly 40 years, he added, “The Gramercy has extra-special meaning to our family too, because it’s our connection to our father.”

The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor

Location: 410 Route 36, Hazlet

Phone: 908-739-2700

Owners: The Rexinis family

Founded: 1986

Website: thegramercynj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Gramercy at Lakeside Manor in Hazlet offers 'wow' factor for weddings