The launch of Bethenny Frankel's Supermodel Cafe in East Quogue, a small town in the Hamptons, was met with a 'stop work' order from local marshals on its opening day. The cafe, inspired by Frankel's online "supermodel snacks" recipes, drew an estimated 700 attendees, leading to concerns about crowd size and potential code violations.
Representatives for Frankel stated that the cafe received a yellow notice labeled "Warning Stop Work Order" due to the unusually high volume of attendees on the launch day. The reality television personality addressed the order on social media, suggesting it pertained to construction that was not actively occurring. "We got a stop work order at the cafe but we don’t have to stop work," Frankel said in a TikTok post. "Evidently, it’s about construction, but we’re not doing construction." She added that they were permitted to continue operations.
Southampton Town Public Safety and Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy informed Newsday that notices had been issued to the cafe and that the establishment had "failed to take corrective action." Murphy also indicated that the Fire Marshal's office intended to issue violations and summonses for sidewalk obstructions and unpermitted signage.
The 'stop work' order, which was displayed on the cafe's window, cited non-compliance with New York State and Southampton's building codes and town ordinances. The Skinnygirl founder's new venture features a menu including lattes, bagels, protein-focused spreads, caviar, low-calorie cakes, and a lighter chicken salad recipe. Notably, the menu includes "protein-forward, 150-calorie bagels" developed in collaboration with Goldberg's bagels, with some caviar-infused options priced around $40.
Frankel founded Skinnygirl Cocktails in 2009, selling the company to Beam Global for over $100 million two years later. She has expressed intentions to expand the Supermodel brand into various food categories, aiming for nationwide distribution and a presence in stores and cafes, anticipating it could surpass the success of Skinnygirl.
Frankel first gained public recognition as a runner-up on NBC's The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005 before becoming a prominent cast member on The Real Housewives of New York City.