Hampton's Beach Closes One Business at a Time, and the New Openings Are on Route 1
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
The team that runs Ronaldo's has two Hampton addresses, and they keep different calendars. Its restaurant at the beach is a seasonal spot. Its newest business, Ronaldo's European Market, is opening at 830 Lafayette Road. Two doors down at 838 Lafayette, La Casita opened on January 8, 2026, in the middle of winter.
Ocean Boulevard doesn't go dark on one date. Businesses there close in stages, from late September into December. This year's new food businesses, including one restaurant that has said it is open year-round, are clustering on Route 1. If you live here, the short version for this fall is simple. Make your beach plans by the calendar, and expect the new spots to be inland.
Paula Stanca and Ciprian "Chip" Jackson are the fourth owners of Ronaldo's Ristorante. They bought the business from Don Folckemer, who retired in 2023. Next they opened a second Ronaldo's at the beach, in the longtime Cascade Café space. Ronaldo's own site calls that location "a seasonal spot on Hampton Beach," with indoor and outdoor dining.
The market is their third Hampton-area project, and its point is food you take home. The Portsmouth Herald reported in September that the deli will carry sobrassada, capocollo and marinated artichokes, so you can build a charcuterie board like the one served at the restaurant. The refrigerated case will hold lasagna, meatballs, ravioli and house-made meat sauces.
"We thought the European market would be an extension of the Ronaldo's experience," Stanca told the paper. "To bring what they love into their homes."
The wine shelf reflects Stanca's background. She is originally from Romania, worked as a sommelier in New York City after studying at the International Culinary Center, and later ran the wine program across the seven venues of the Standard High Line Hotel. For the market, she is sourcing hard-to-find bottles made from indigenous grapes in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Austria.
The space used to be a bike shop. The owners gutted it and put in new shelving, a deli counter and refrigerators. No opening day or hours had been published as of early October, so check the market's social page before you go.
La Casita had spent eight years in Kittery before owners Gaby Velez and Joe Kelly moved it to Hampton. The menu centers on Puerto Rican rice-and-bean bowls and Caribbean sandwiches. Its website says it is open year-round, including Sundays.
Together, 830 and 838 Lafayette Road give this part of Route 1 two new food businesses within a year. One opened in January and the other is opening in October, which are the two months a seasonal beach business would least want to start. Both are on Route 1, away from the summer foot traffic along Ocean Boulevard.
On the oceanfront, every business sets its own last day. Here is where things stood in early October, based on each business's own website:
| Business | Status this fall |
|---|---|
| Bernie's Beach Bar | "Closed for the season. See you next year!" |
| Hampton Artisans Store, 125 Ocean Blvd. | Seasonal, open "From May to October" |
| Boardwalk Inn & Café | "Open for the season," no closing date posted |
| Sea Ketch | "Last day of the season November 29th" |
| Charlie's Tap House, 9A Ocean Blvd. | Daily, noon to 1 a.m., with weekly karaoke through Thursday, December 3 |
| Wally's Pub | Concert listed for December 11 |
Bernie's sign-off post reads "That's a wrap!! Season '26 in the books" and promises to be back "in the spring." The Hampton Artisans Store opened at 125 Ocean Boulevard this May, featuring more than 25 regional makers. It calls itself a seasonal gateway, and its October listings mark the end of its first year.
Sea Ketch has been on the boulevard since 1973. Its homepage lists it as open September, October and November, with the season ending November 29. The page doesn't print a year, so call ahead before planning a late-November dinner on the decks.
Charlie's Tap House and Wally's both have events on the books into December. That keeps a few lights on at the beach well past Thanksgiving. Charlie's karaoke runs through December 3, and Wally's has a concert on December 11.
The biggest reason to drive down Ocean Boulevard after Columbus Day is the stage at 169 Ocean Boulevard. The Casino Ballroom's fall calendar has a show almost every week through late November:
The lineup changes as shows are added, so confirm on the Casino Ballroom's calendar before buying tickets. With Charlie's open daily until 1 a.m., you can still get dinner or a drink on the boulevard before a show this fall.
The fall walking routes have one gap this year. On September 11, Hampton's Department of Public Works said crews were about to start rebuilding the stone wall and stairway at Plaice Cove and adding sand. Beach access through that area is closed during construction. The town's bid record shows the Plaice Cove Revetment Repairs contract has been awarded and must be finished within 60 calendar days. The town hasn't posted a progress update since then, so check the DPW notice before planning a walk there.
There's also roadwork inland. The Sewer Inflow and Infiltration Removal Project in the Kentville, Charles, Chase and Ross area has been pushed to the week of October 12, 2026. During roadway work, driveway access may be delayed, and the town has named the Church Street lot as alternate parking.
As the beach thins out, the community calendar shifts toward Lafayette Road and the town center. Most of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce's fall events are on Route 1 or near the town center:
L Street Tavern has a Halloween event on Saturday, October 31, and a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, November 26. Times weren't posted yet.
The Holiday Show on the Seacoast returns to the RIM Sports Complex at 311 Winnacunnet Road for its sixth year, November 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The organizer lists 155 exhibitors, food trucks, cocktails and Santa. Two weeks later, the Experience Hampton Christmas Parade runs along Route 1 on Saturday, December 5, at 1 p.m.
By the time the parade passes Lafayette Road, the Artisans Store and Bernie's will be closed until spring, and Sea Ketch's posted last day will have passed. La Casita at 838 Lafayette says it is open year-round, and the Ronaldo's team's newest business is opening next door at 830, on Route 1 instead of Ocean Boulevard.
Questions about Hampton in the off-season, or about how the Route 1 corridor is changing, are part of the work we do at Prestige Properties. If you'd like to talk through what this fall's openings mean for your part of town, Shawna and Lila are glad to share what they're seeing. Work With Us.
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