Eastport General Store to close in October after 5-year run on Main Street

The Eastport General Store — a community hub that opened during the pandemic with ambitions of revitalizing the hamlet’s Main Street — will close its doors permanently on Oct. 26.

Owner Amber Otto shared the news this week, calling the decision “incredibly difficult” but also a “blessing in disguise.”

“I have so loved creating this space and connecting with so many incredible people over these past 5 years, but the constant struggles and stressors of owning a small business are very real, and have definitely taken their toll,” Otto wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post.

“It’s with bittersweet acceptance that I look at this as not an ending, but the beginning of a new chapter,” she added.

Otto, a Montauk native who moved to Eastport, opened the shop at 510 Montauk Highway in October 2020. The building had sat vacant for years before she transformed it into a bright, welcoming store filled with shelves of local goods, from Hampton Sourdough bread and pickles to toys and household items.

In an interview with Greater Long Island at the time of the store’s opening, Otto said she was motivated by a desire to bring “fresh energy” to Eastport.

“As a year-round resident, I saw Main Street fading over the past couple of years as other businesses left town and empty storefronts multiplied,” she said. “Eastport has so much potential — natural beauty, historic architecture and quaint charm reminiscent of Cape Cod or the North Fork – a hidden gem.”

For five years, the store lived up to that mission, becoming what Otto described as “a true neighborhood store” thanks to her staff, local vendors and loyal customers. In her farewell message, she expressed deep gratitude for the support shown to her and her family.

“In the coming days I will be in touch with more updates regarding discounts, changes to store hours, equipment & fixtures for sale, and plans for a goodbye send-off,” Otto wrote. “For now, I just want to say: Thank you so very much, from the bottom of my heart, for letting this little store be a part of Eastport’s story.”

The announcement sparked a wave of support from fellow small business owners in the area, as well as from loyal customers.

Otto was praised for her vision and the role the shop played in keeping Main Street vibrant.

“You are a light in our community and your presence, spirit and enthusiasm will be missed in so many ways,” the Silly Lily Fishing Station in East Moriches commented on Otto’s post. “You changed the face of Eastport and the surrounding areas and created a gravitational pull for other small businesses.”

Loaves and Fishes Foodstore in Bridgehampton added, “A heartfelt undertaking that obviously brought so much joy to those in your community, and an inspiration to us as onlookers ❤️wishing you all the best in your future ventures 🥂”

“YOU created the best place for all of us and changed our town!” commented customer Karyn DeLuna.

_{Top: Eastport General Store (Instagram) and store owner Amber Otto (GLI file photo).}