Two of Long Island’s largest supermarket chains have agreed to a deal that will bring King Kullen Grocery Co. under the ownership of Suffolk-based Giunta’s Meat Farms.
The acquisition will affect the King Kullen location on Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre, along with 23 other King Kullen stores and four Wild by Nature locations.
Founder Michael Cullen started King Kullen in Queens in 1930. The grocery chain has also maintained a long presence in the Rockville Centre community, with a storefront in the village dating back to the 1940s.
King Kullen remained in the Cullen family for decades. Current President and Chief Operating Officer Tracey Cullen said the company believes Giunta’s, as another family-owned business, can continue the legacy King Kullen has built over the years.
“As we looked toward the future, it was important to us to identify a local company that understood what makes King Kullen so special,” Cullen said in a press statement. “We found that in family-owned Giunta’s Meat Farms. They appreciate our history and our people. We are confident they are the right steward of the King Kullen legacy, and we look forward to working together throughout the transition.”
Giunta’s Meat Farms has been owned and operated by the Giunta family for more than 30 years. The family entered the supermarket business in Queens in the 1950s, while the current company was founded by Philip Giunta and Peter Levantino in 1992.
“King Kullen is more than a supermarket company,” Joseph Giunta, co-owner of Giunta’s Meat Farms, said in a statement. “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.”
The acquisition is not the first time King Kullen has been the subject of a potential deal. In 2018, the company announced that it would be acquired by Stop & Shop, pending regulatory approval. After 18 months, the deal ultimately collapsed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
King Kullen representatives declined to discuss specifics of the current deal while it remains pending. The acquisition is expected to close in September, subject to customary closing conditions. Until then, the two companies will continue to operate as separate entities.
The Rockville Centre King Kullen has operated at its current Sunrise Highway location since 1996, serving shoppers from Rockville Centre, Lynbrook and Oceanside. Over the years, the store has become a familiar part of the local community.
For longtime shoppers, news of the acquisition has brought a mix of curiosity and hope that the qualities that have made the store a neighborhood staple will remain.
“I’ve been shopping here for decades now, and it’s always nice to have a store so local,” Rockville Centre resident Cheryl Schober said. “This location is so accessible for me.”
Other residents said they hope the change in ownership does not affect the store’s quality or service.
“I just hope that they keep up their commitment to quality,” resident Maureen B. Kilcommons said. “My family and I frequent this place a lot, and we hope they continue on for many more years.”
