SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — When the new Discovery+ documentary, “Serving the Hamptons,” debuts Thursday, April 7, one of the cast members will be Jack Tavcar, a waiter at 75 Main — the hotspot restaurant of Southampton at the heart of the series.
Tavcar, 24, spoke with Patch about what it was like filming the series at one of the most famous restaurants and nightclubs in the Hamptons.
Tavcar, the youngest of the four, grew up in the Queen Village. Before they died, his great-grandmother and uncle lived in the Hamptons — his aunt lived in Hampton Bays and his uncle was a priest in Southampton, he said.
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Before the pandemic, Tavcar, an aspiring actor, lived in Los Angeles, working in restaurants. But with the advent of the coronavirus, Tavcar returned to the East Coast, where his family had decided, like so many others, to spend the first part of the quarantine in Southampton.
As restrictions began to ease, Tavcar was walking in Southampton, going to cash his check from his job at Stop & Shop, when he saw Zach Erdem, owner of 75 Main, sitting outside.
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“Zach is known as one of the most influential people in the Hamptons. But when I first met him, I didn't know who he was,” she said. “The only experience I had with the Hamptons was going out to dinner at Easter with my family. I had never been there for the party scene.”
Tavcar asked Erdem if he was the owner. “Then I asked, 'Are you hiring?' He asked me if I had experience and I told him I had worked at a restaurant in Los Angeles. “He said, 'Cool, you're hired,'” Tavcar said.
Unbeknownst to Erdem, Tavcar had never worked as a server, just a runner, so at first, Tavcar said, “He was upset. But I grew on him.”
Erdem, Tavcar said, “is a great, great restaurateur.” And, he said, while he's strict and demands excellence from his staff, he's “very forgiving. If you mess up, you can talk to him.”
The series showcases all the drama and excitement of working at one of the most popular restaurants in the Hamptons during the busy summer season.
“Each summer on Long Island's East End, as the Hamptons play home to those seeking an escape from the city, 75 Main Restaurant becomes the focus of a who's who,” said a release from Discovery+. “As the seasonal temperatures rise, so does the drama for the new Discovery+ documentaries, Serving the Hamptons.”
According to the announcement, the five hour-long episodes “transport viewers to one of the world's most exclusive enclaves while showcasing all the juicy drama in the lives of the young, sexy restaurant staff at Southampton's 'it' dining destination.” 75 Mainly, as they connect, argue and work together to make sure customers come back for more.”
“That's what I love about this country. After 75 Main and all the restaurants, having such a tough year, we're back to having the best summer ever and having Discovery+ support is a dream come true,” said Erdem.
Tavcar, who currently works in New York, plans to return to 75 Main this summer for another season at the restaurant.
When asked how he felt learning that Discovery+ would be filming at 75 Main, Tavcar said, “Having already been employed there, I had experienced all the crazy drama that happens in these restaurants. I had joked that it could be a TV show.”
Watching the experience unfold, Tavcar said, “We didn't know what to expect.”
According to Discovery+, the series centers on a stunning beach house provided to employees who serve Erdem's elite clientele of celebrities, politicians and the wealthy, provided they follow his rules and take care of his customers.
Much of the show focuses on the interaction between the eight real-life employees who appear as themselves, Tavcar said. “We all live in this house, so it's who has relationships with who and who doesn't,” she said. Work drama and life drama are intertwined, he said.
The house where they lived was beautiful, Tavcar said. “At Hamptons rental prices, we were really lucky to have a nice house. We walked on the water all the time.”
Despite the turnaround, staff still had to make sure their restaurant responsibilities were met and that shifts were staffed, he said.
Tavcar said his role among the eight was determined early on. “We always joked that I became the 'Dad' of the house, the voice of reason,” he said. “A lot of people were fighting about relationships or worried about whether they liked or didn't like this person, I said, 'Guys, we're here for one reason, to make money. We have to concentrate, do the work.”
During filming, the crew headed to other East End locations, including other bars and restaurants, a driving range and a bowling alley, Tavcar said.
The Hamptons, he said, were the perfect setting for thrilling viewing. “The Hamptons obviously have this charm to them. This idea that all New Yorkers go to the Hamptons for the summer to have fun and relax and get away from the craziness — we're just bringing all the craziness here.”
There's nothing like the Hamptons in the summer, he said. “There is money everywhere, there is fun and energy. The beaches are full.”
Tavcar hopes that after the easing of pandemic restrictions, the restaurant will be even more electrifying with guests this summer.
While Tavcar admitted he hasn't watched much reality TV, he said “Serving the Hamptons” depicts the reality for hospitality workers in one of the most desirable locations in the world — and offers a real look into their lives. “I think it's a good combination of who we all are as people, what our career aspirations are, and why it makes sense for us to be in the Hamptons. It's not just the restaurant, the work focus, or our personal lives — it's a whole image of who we are and what we care about. The camera really sees us for who we are.”
The drama, Tavcar said, “came naturally. Everyone living in a house that way, some really crazy things happened.”
He added: “The restaurant lends itself to this reality TV show,” he said. “A lot of what we felt — those moments were real and we were all reacting to them.”
The shoot, which took about three weeks, was a “whirlwind,” Tavcar said.
But the friendships born at 75 Main are lifelong, Tavcar said. “Certainly just working in the Hamptons in general is an experience that sticks with you,” he said. “Working in restaurants during some of the busiest periods, things can get really crazy. It's like we're all going to war together.”
Along with that comes the realization that teamwork is essential to success for everyone, Tavcar said.
Having a camera follow him from work to home was a new experience, Tavcar said. “I felt like I was trying to make my life interesting,” he laughed. “But they did a really good job of capturing who we are naturally and making it exciting for the camera.”
We learned life lessons during the shoot, Tavcar said.
“One of the most important things I've learned is that no matter how much you like or dislike co-workers, we're all in this together. If one person has a bad night, we're all going to have a bad night. We all have to work together.”
Simply working in a restaurant has instilled in Tavcar insight. “It really taught me a lot about how people should interact with each other, treat people with kindness. Treat your servers well and treat your guests well. We're all human.”
Working in the Hamptons, Tavcar said, in the midst of astonishing wealth, “it almost feels possible,” Tavcar said. “It feels possible. There's not much difference between me and the millionaire sitting at that table – you never know how life is going to turn out. We're all capable of many things.”
Tavcar, the only actor in his family, said he and his siblings are all musicians and play instruments. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City for vocal music and while there began his journey into musical theater and acting.
The irony, he said, is that most struggling actors work in restaurants to make ends meet, auditioning for their big break. “It's crazy to think that just working at a restaurant for the summer led to how I ended up in TV — that's what got me into acting.”
He thanked Erdem for everything he did to promote his career.
To others pursuing their dreams, Tavcar said, “Luck is a very big part of it, but luck will only give you opportunity – it's up to you to take it and work hard. Anyone pursuing any field in the arts or in any dream — take classes, familiarize yourself with the industry, so when that opportunity comes, you're ready.”
Fans can learn more about the 75 Main staff on Instagram by following #ServingTheHamptons. For more videos and clips highlighting all the drama, deleted scenes that didn't make the show and more, follow Discovery+ on social media.
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