Meat Farms acquiring King Kullen, deal unites Long Island grocery giants

Giunta’s Meat Farms has agreed to acquire King Kullen Grocery Co. in a deal that will bring together two family-owned supermarket chains with Long Island roots that stretch back nearly a century.

The agreement, announced Thursday, calls for Oakdale-based Giunta’s to take over Hauppauge-based King Kullen’s 24 supermarkets and four Wild by Nature natural foods markets.

The companies said they expect the deal to close in September, pending customary closing conditions.

King Kullen, founded in 1930 by Michael Cullen, is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America’s first supermarket and is Long Island’s largest family-owned grocery chain, with stores across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Giunta’s traces its own roots to 1952, when the Giunta family opened its first store in Queens. The company, now run by its third generation, operates 10 locations on Long Island, including one in Middle Island’s Strathmore Commons that the chain took over from King Kullen in November.

Joseph Giunta, co-owner of Giunta’s Meat Farms, called King Kullen “more than a supermarket company.”

“It’s America’s first supermarket and a significant part of Long Island’s history,” Giunta said. “We’re honored to carry that legacy forward while delivering the strong everyday value that has long defined the Meat Farms experience.”

Both companies will continue operating independently until the sale is finalized. King Kullen and Wild by Nature employees are expected to be retained once the deal closes, the companies said.

Tracey Cullen, president and chief operating officer of King Kullen, said the decision to sell came down to finding a company that shared the chain’s values.

“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. “We found that in family-owned Giunta’s Meat Farms. They appreciate our history and our people.”

James Cullen, King Kullen’s chairman and grandson of the company’s founder, said Giunta’s shares the principles that have guided the chain since its start.

“For nearly a century, King Kullen has been part of the fabric of Long Island thanks to the loyalty of our customers and the dedication of our associates,” Cullen said. “We believe Giunta’s Meat Farms is guided by the same principles that have defined our company since my grandfather founded King Kullen in 1930.”

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