Designing Delicious: Babe’s

Julian Cavin and Jonny Shipes, co-owners of the new Sag Harbor diner Babe’s, didn’t set out to create the summer’s breakout hit. Both hail from New York, where hip-hop culture, city-kid independence, and neighborhood diners shaped their sense of community. Now, the duo’s matching Air Max 95s and basketball tees have found an unlikely home Out East.

Within days of opening, the parking lot filled with locals, weekenders, and influencers queuing up for Babe’s eight barstools. Inside, red-and-white checkered floors, a chalkboard scrawled with daily specials, and an extensive collection of New York memorabilia (a Babe Ruth clock, a vintage Ebbets Field sign) create a nostalgic home for the commotion. “You hear the kitchen talking, stuff’s flying. It’s exciting,” Cavin says. On particularly hectic days, he hops behind the grill to flip cheesesteaks.

Both swear the virality was an accident. “We didn’t set out to be like, ‘Oh, you can’t get in,’” Shipes says. He believes the intimate space gave the project its cool factor. Cavin thinks the secret was the no-skips menu, from challah French toast to vodka Parm—and, of course, the crowd-favorite banana chocolate chip pancakes. “It shouldn’t have happened,” he agrees, “but something clicked.”

The collaborations don’t hurt, either: Babe’s has already partnered with New York institutions such as Barney Greengrass and Veselka. But Cavin and Shipes are thinking beyond one blockbuster summer. “Hopefully this thing is open for the next 20 years,” Shipes says.