OAKDALE, N.Y. — Giunta’s Meat Farms has reached an agreement to acquire King Kullen Grocery Co., bringing Long Island’s oldest supermarket chain and its Wild by Nature natural foods banner under new ownership.
The deal includes all 24 King Kullen supermarkets and four Wild by Nature locations in Hampton Bays, East Setauket, Huntington and Oceanside. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in September.
Both companies said they will continue operating independently until the acquisition is finalized and that all King Kullen and Wild by Nature employees are expected to remain with the business after the transition.
The announcement did not indicate whether the stores will retain their current banners or eventually be rebranded under the Meat Farms name.
The Giunta family started in the supermarket business in 1952 in Queens and is now in its third generation. The company currently operates 10 locations on Long Island.
“King Kullen is a significant part of Long Island’s history,” said Joseph Giunta, co-owner of Giunta’s Meat Farms. “We are honored to carry that legacy forward.”
On August 4th, 1930, Michael J. Kullen opened the doors to America’s first supermarket. The Smithsonian Institute acknowledges King Kullen as America’s first supermarket, as it was “the first to fulfill all five criteria that define the modern supermarket: separate departments; self-service; discount pricing; chain marketing; and volume dealing.”
