Petrocelli Family

Jacqueline Phillips:
Jacqueline graduated from Salve Regina University in 2009 with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. She graduated from St Joseph’s College in 2011 with a masters in Childhood Literacy and went on to teach early childhood education. After a few years, Jacqueline decided to leave her teaching position to join the family business. For the past 10 years, she has played an integral role planning in house special events for Atlantis Banquets and Events at the Long Island Aquarium and the Sea Star Ballroom.

Alexandra Bussi:
Alexandra, 32, grew up in Smithtown, Long Island. After high school she moved to New York City to attend LIM college, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising to pursue a Visual Merchandising degree. After working in establishments such as Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue and Yosi Samra, she eventually found her way back to Long Island to join her family businesses. Using her background she operates a local boutique “Taste the East End” in Riverhead next to the Long Island Aquarium and Sea Star Ballroom. The boutique focuses on supporting local goods from vendors on the East End of Long Island. Aside from the boutique, Alexandra enjoys helping in administrative and daily work at The Preston House and Hotel alongside her family.

Jennifer Petrocelli

Restaurateur, Hotelier, and Smithtown Long Island native Jennifer Petrocelli, now the successful owner of the family-run business The Preston House & Hotel was at first apprehensive to venture feet first into the fine dining business. However, with five years of experience in the New York City fashion industry behind her, nostalgia set in reminding her of the college summer months she spent working at Raphael Vineyard and Winery. A period that developed her passion for wine hospitality. Just like that, Petrocelli was back in the family business. Petrocelli returned to work at Raphael Vineyard and Winery as a Sales and Events Manager in the metro NY region for close to eight years from 2009 to 2017.  During that time, Petrocelli became a certified sommelier and tried to make a name for Raphael in the NY metro region. Petrocelli would later credit her near-decade experience in wine and hospitality services as the groundwork for the Petrocelli Family’s next big endeavor– The Preston House & Hotel. Situated in Riverhead the gateway to the North and the South Fork, across from The Long Island Aquarium, the Hyatt, and the Sea Star, it was the perfect location for a venture of its kind, untapped and full of potential. Once a vacant and forgotten historical landmark, the renovation, and restoration of The Preston House restaurant gifted the community not only the preservation and use of the historic building but a menu sourced from local farms. The blank slate of the hotel and frame for the restaurant would call for Petrocelli to at last marry her skills in design and hospitality. All of life’s roads had led to this challenge, to home to family–she was right where she was supposed to be. The Preston House & Hotel venture, born of a shift in career, and return, and focus on family became the best-kept secret in Riverhead.