Waterford - Unk's on the Bay restaurant, which originated as a clam shack in 1933, will reopen Tuesday as Lisa's Landing.

The new restaurant will feature Italian American cuisine and seafood seven days a week, said operators Vasili and Lisa Therecka of Brooklyn, Conn.

The landlord, Ali Arshad of Stamford, who bought the property from the Bouffard family of Waterford five years ago, is leasing the restaurant to the Thereckas with an option to buy. Making improvements to the building since April, the couple hopes to recreate the family atmosphere popularized at Unk's over the years.

"We want to know customers on a personal basis," Lisa Therecka said. "We want everyone to come back and feel really welcome, like it's their place."

Unk's closed in September, after the arrangement with the operator Arshad hired to run it didn't work out. Arshad also runs the Harbor View restaurant in Norwalk. Prior to that, the Bouffard family owned and operated the eatery for about 44 years, David Bouffard said.

Earlier this week, the Thereckas were putting the finishing touches on the dining room, deck and upstairs bar, and coaching about a dozen part-time staff. Vasili Therecka has hired a second chef, but will serve as chef also, he said.

He said he likes the small-town feel of the area and the local schools, where his two young sons will get their education if the family buys the property and moves here.

"I know that I'll do good in the future, here," Vasili Therecka said. "I want to run a family restaurant and I hope I get the right people (as employees) from the beginning."

Until recently, Vasili worked with friends in their restaurants and ran Portabella's Restaurant in Manchester for about nine months last year. For seven years before that, he ran Brooklyn Pizza, but sold it in 2006. And before that, he spent 4½ years as a pastry chef and 2½ years as a hot line chef at Cigna Corp. in Bloomfield.

He also is skilled at making wedding cakes and ice sculptures, he said.

Lisa Therecka, a Realtor with Prudential in South Woodstock, and Steve Tzinis of Rocky Hill will be responsible for welcoming customers.

"We have a lot of ideas we want to implement down the road," said Lisa Therecka, including eventually featuring live entertainment in the upstairs bar.

The restaurant sign and logo, which features a mermaid, were still being worked on late in the week.

p.daddona@theday.com

Lisa's Landing

Rope Ferry Road, Waterford

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. the rest of the week.

Menu: Entrees ranging in price from $10 to $30, including steaks, lobster and fra diavolo dishes.

Phone: (860) 443-0529