ShopRite opening Lake Ronkonkoma store in former Waldbaum’s

ShopRite will open a store in early 2018 in the former Waldbaum’s supermarket in Lake Ronkonkoma.

ShopRite will take over the 47,500-square-foot space in the Lake Shore Plaza shopping center at 601 Portion Rd. The Waldbaum’s space in Lake Ronkonkoma has remained vacant since the supermarket closed in 2012.

The space will be renovated and outfitted with energy-saving technologies including LED lighting and environmentally friendly refrigeration.

Charles and Judy Gallagher and their family will own and operate the new ShopRite of Lake Ronkonkoma. The Gallagher family also owns and operates the ShopRite of Selden.

ShopRite is a trademark of Keasbey, New Jersey-based Wakefern Food Corp., a cooperative of retailer-owned stores. There are currently 13 ShopRite stores on Long Island.

In addition to groceries, the Lake Ronkonkoma store will offer a from-scratch bakery goods shop, a full-service floral department, and a meat department, as well as prepared foods and natural, organic, and gluten-free products.

The Lake Ronkonkoma store is expected to employ more than 200 full- and part-time workers, a Wakefern spokeswoman said.

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In 2012 the now bankrupt Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., the parent company of Waldbaum’s and Pathmark supermarkets, closed six underperforming Waldbaum’s stores on Long Island, including the Lake Ronkonkoma location.

A&P had filed for bankruptcy in 2010, emerging in 2012 as a closely held company.

In July 2015 A&P filed for bankruptcy again, and all 51 remaining Waldbaum’s and Pathmark stores on Long Island closed by November 2015. Most of those stores have been taken over or are expected to be taken over by other supermarkets, including 10 by Best Market, nine by Stop & Shop, at least four by ShopRite, at least four by Key Food, and one by King Kullen. About a dozen of the stores remain vacant.

Wakefern bought four local Waldbaum’s and Pathmark locations from A&P, including a former Pathmark location in Bethpage, a former Waldbaum’s in Deer Park, a former Pathmark in New Hyde Park, and a former Waldbaum’s on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa. The stores opened under the ShopRite banner in 2016.