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Long Island is about to get know Cornucopia Natural Foods a lot better.
A popular fixture in downtown Sayville for nearly a half-century, Cornucopia will open a second grocery store inside the Station Yards development at Ronkonkoma’s train station, developers have announced.
Construction inside Cornucopia’s new location — a nearly 7,000-square-foot space embedded in the 53-acre mixed-use development across the street from the Long Island Rail Road station — is set to start this fall.
“Cornucopia will bring a fantastic, healthy, one-stop shop to your health food needs at Station Yards,” said Maria Valanzano of TRITEC Real EstateCompany, Station Yards’ developers. “It will be extremely beneficial to the residents and local community to have access to a healthy food market at their doorstep. Train riders can also take advantage of the convenience of stopping in for a pre-ride snack or drink before they conduct their travel.”
The independently owned Cornucopia was established in 1976 by Lynne Dougherty, who because of her own personal heath journey was motivated to expand health and wellness options in her hometown. The company grew steadily, and in 2017 moved into a 5,000-square-foot space on Main Street in Sayville.
Meanwhile, Dougherty transferred ownership to her son Jonathon, who last year sold the business to Cornucopia’s long-time general manager, Drew Alexander. More than 10,000 customers are registered in the store’s loyalty program.
Just like the Sayville store, Cornucopia’s Station Yards location will offer gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo items. The store will also be 100% non-GMO and only carry animal products from ethical and humane sources.
“My goal has always been to grow the business and better serve the community,” Alexander said. “We aim to provide our customers with the healthiest and most eco-friendly options possible, while creating the best workplace for our staff.
“Moving to Station Yards will help us be even more environmentally responsible and expand our outreach and charitable endeavors,” he added.
Station Yards will ultimately include 1,450 apartments, 195,000 square feet of retail space, and 360,000 square feet of office space. TRITEC finished the first phase of 489 apartment homes, Alston Station Yards, in 2021. Earlier this year, residents began moving into The Core, a 388-apartment branch of Station Yards.
“I love the idea of a downtown hub featuring exclusively local businesses and am especially excited to bring our mission of sustainability and social responsibility to Ronkonkoma,” Alexander said.
Jimmy Coughlan, TRITEC’s executive vice president, is excited about the addition of Cornucopia to Station Yards.
“Their commitment to quality and community aligns perfectly with our vision for this development,” he said. “We are confident that Cornucopia will be a tremendous asset to the residents and visitors of Station Yards.”
Top photo: (From left) Kelley Coughlan Heck, executive vice president and partner of TRITEC; Meaghan Coughlan Treat., development manager with TRITEC; Michele Zahakis, wellness category manager with Cornucopia; Rachel Salvitti, merchandising and marketing manager with Cornucopia; Drew Alexander, Cornucopia owner; Chris Kroger, Cornucopia grocery manager; and Chris Kelly, senior vice president at TRITEC.
