After 100 years in business, the Ship Lantern Inn served its final meal June 28, closing the doors on one of the Hudson Valley’s longest-running family-owned restaurants.

For generations of local families, the restaurant along Route 9W was more than a place to eat — it was where engagements were celebrated, anniversaries toasted, birthdays marked and traditions passed down.

Owner Mike Foglia, 72, the third-generation restaurateur who has led the Ship Lantern Inn since graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in 1976, called it “the end of an era” for the beloved restaurant.

Foglia said the decision to close came after he fulfilled a promise he made decades ago to his grandfather, founder John Foglia Sr. — that the restaurant would reach its 100th year.

“I always promised my granddad that the Ship Lantern Inn would get to 100 years,” Foglia said.

The closure was not driven by financial struggles. The restaurant remained one of the region’s most popular dining destinations, having recently won a Poughkeepsie Journal readers’ poll as the Hudson Valley’s most classic restaurant. Instead, Foglia said the time had simply come, and no members of the fourth generation were interested in taking over the business.

The Ship Lantern Inn’s story began in 1925, when Italian immigrant John Foglia Sr. purchased the Revolutionary War-era property. It initially operated as a boarding house before becoming a restaurant about a decade later, growing into one of the Hudson Valley’s premier fine-dining destinations.
Foglia’s grandfather was also among the original partners of Chef Boyardee, helping fellow Italian immigrant Ettore “Hector” Boiardi launch the canned pasta company while building the Ship Lantern Inn. During World War II, the restaurant’s basement kitchen prepared large batches of Chef Boyardee meals that were shipped to troops stationed at West Point.

The restaurant remained in the Foglia family for decades, with Mike Foglia’s father, Angelo, and uncle, John Jr., leading the business before Mike Foglia took over nearly 50 years ago.

The Ship Lantern Inn became known for preserving a style of dining that has largely disappeared elsewhere, with tuxedo-clad servers, white linens, fireplaces and tableside presentations. Foglia said he believed exceptional service mattered as much as exceptional food, a philosophy he traced to his grandfather, who often said: “Whether you have one Ship Lantern Inn or 100 Ship Lantern Inns, remember you’re a servant of the public.”

Earlier this year, the Ship Lantern Inn marked its centennial with a special three-course prix fixe dinner.

Former manager Matt Smith, who spent five years at the restaurant, said its greatest legacy was not its menu or décor but the memories it helped create.
“It’s a generational restaurant,” Smith told the Southern Ulster Times. “I love hearing the stories of the people that come in — ‘My grandparents got married here,’ or ‘My parents celebrated here.’ There’s just something about it when you walk in the door.”

Smith said staff worked to maintain the restaurant’s timeless atmosphere so longtime guests would always recognize it. “We’ve tried to maintain the same atmosphere and ambiance, the same element of class and timelessness,” he said. “Just an old-timey feel.”

The restaurant also supported local schools, charitable organizations and community events for decades. As it prepared to close, Foglia paid tribute to longtime employees, including two staff members who each worked there for 58 years.

As the final dinners were served, Foglia said he was reflecting less on the food than on the relationships built over a lifetime. The restaurant hosted multiple generations of some local families over its history, serving as the backdrop for engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, holiday gatherings and other milestones.

“It was an honor” to carry on his family’s legacy, Foglia said.

Restaurant management is working to ensure customers with outstanding gift certificates are reimbursed. According to a notice posted by the restaurant, gift certificates dated after July 1, 2020, will be redeemed over a three-week period beginning Wednesday, July 8. During office hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, customers may bring their physical gift certificate to the restaurant or mail it in. Once received, the restaurant will issue a check.

“We appreciate your understanding, and we apologize for any inconvenience,” the notice states.