King Kullen to be sold to another family-owned Long Island grocer

Break out the Kleenex in aisle 5.

King Kullen — the Long Island institution that pioneered the modern supermarket — is being scooped up by Giunta’s Meat Farms in a deal covering all 24 stores, including its Wading River and Cutchogue markets, and four Wild by Nature locations.

The two family-owned grocers announced the sale Thursday and expect it to close in September. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“For nearly a century, King Kullen has been part of the fabric of Long Island thanks to the loyalty of our customers and the dedication of our associates,” company chairman James A. Cullen, the founder’s grandson, said in the announcement. “We believe Giunta’s Meat Farms is guided by the same principles that have defined our company since my grandfather founded King Kullen in 1930.”

The companies will continue operating independently until the deal closes. All King Kullen and Wild by Nature employees are expected to be retained by the new owners.

The announcement did not say whether the stores will keep their familiar names or eventually be converted to the Meat Farms brand.

Mr. Cullen’s grandfather, Michael J. Cullen, hatched the supermarket concept while working for Kroger in Illinois, envisioning large, mostly self-service stores with ample parking, discount prices and groceries stacked high and sold in volume.

When Kroger executives ignored his proposal, Mr. Cullen moved his family to Long Island and opened the first King Kullen in Queens in 1930. The Smithsonian Institution recognizes it as America’s first supermarket, according to the company’s official history.

The chain had grown to 17 stores by the time Mr. Cullen died unexpectedly six years later. His wife and family kept the business — and his vision — alive, eventually expanding across the region.

King Kullen peaked at 55 stores in 1983 before larger chains began chipping away at its hometown dominance.

This is not King Kullen’s first trip to the checkout line.

Stop & Shop, part of the Netherlands-based multinational Ahold Delhaize, agreed in January 2019 to acquire King Kullen’s 32 supermarkets, five Wild by Nature stores and Bethpage headquarters. But the deal lingered for more than a year before the companies pulled the plug in June 2020, citing “significant, unforeseen changes” in the grocery market.

This time, King Kullen president and chief operating officer Tracey Cullen said, the family sought a local buyer that respected the company’s history, employees and Long Island roots.

“We found that in family-owned Giunta’s Meat Farms,” she said. “They appreciate our history and our people. We are confident they are the right steward of the King Kullen legacy.”

Giunta’s has deep roots of its own in Long Island’s grocery aisles. The family entered the supermarket business in Queens in 1952, and the Oakdale-based company now operates 10 Meat Farms stores across the Island.

“King Kullen is more than a supermarket company,” co-owner Joseph Giunta said. “It’s America’s first supermarket and a significant part of Long Island’s history. We’re honored to carry that legacy forward while delivering the strong everyday value that has long defined the Meat Farms experience.”