Island Park King Kullen is a family affair

When the new King Kullen supermarket in Island Park has its official opening on Dec. 14, it will be serving a region that was among the hardest hit by superstorm Sandy. The extent to which residents suffered, and continue to suffer, is not lost on the Cullen and Kennedy families who own this Long Island supermarket chain. Both families have members who reside here, with roots that go back seven decades.

“My grandfather, Michael J. Cullen, founded King Kullen in 1930 and went on to purchase a home in Point Lookout,” explains King Kullen Co-President Brian Cullen. “His son, John B. Cullen, bought a home in Point Lookout in 1942 with his wife, Doris, who still resides there. It’s where their daughter, Dana, raised her family with husband Ron Conklin, who serves as King Kullen’s Co-Chairman. Third- and fourth-generations of Cullens are proud to call the area home.”

Multiple generations of the Kennedy family also reside in Point Lookout and Long Beach. “My father, Bernard, and my mother, Dorothy, have lived here since 1950,” commented King Kullen Co-President Don Kennedy. His father serves as Co-Chairman of the 82-year-old supermarket company with Ron Conklin.

“The Kennedys and Cullens have always played active roles in the community,” continued Kennedy. “For example, my father and Ron serve on the Board of Trustees of Long Beach Medical Center, where my father is President of the Board. After the storm hit, King Kullen provided the region with much-needed resources. This part of Long Island is vitally important to us. Opening a store in Island Park gives us a chance to serve the communities that make up the very fabric of our families.”

Located at 4601 Austin Boulevard on Barnum Island and totaling more than 40,000 square feet, the newest of King Kullen’s 42 supermarkets is designed to meet the needs of the local community by offering expanded food and specialty selections that reflect the culture and interests of the Long Beach area.

“We wanted to create a unique shopping experience for customers, so every aspect of the store was designed with them in mind,” remarked Co-President Cullen.