South Shore Market replaces snack shop in Bay Shore ferry terminal
A look inside South Shore Market, a grab-and-go shop full of vacation sundries at the Bay Shore ferry terminal. Credit: Newsday /Marie Elena Martinez
For the last 30 years, Doreen Parini’s Just Barge In was the essential grab-and-go market at the bustling ferry terminal in Bay Shore that transported weekenders to Fire Island. When the store went up for sale last year, Laurel Shortell was first in line to assume the lease. Debuting in May, the new South Shore Market replaces Parini’s shop with another entrepreneurial female at its helm.
“Most of our products are New York- and Long Island-based,” says Shortell, who owns nut butter brand Laurel’s Butter. She applies the same ethos of supporting local businesses on her shop’s shelves as she does in coordinating the indoor South Shore Famers Market at Bayport’s Flower Houses. Coffee is from the Bay Shore Bean, baked goods from muffins to scones to chocolate chip cookies to bacon, egg, and cheeses are from local bakers including Pat’s Bakehouse. There’s Hal’s sodas and chips, mixers from Hella Cocktail Co. and snacks from Greenport Jerky. Dogs will enjoy Life is Gruff treats. New York City is represented with Carbone pasta sauces and Peter Luger’s thick slab bacon. There’s Fancy Nancy preserves, Kalypso Greek yogurts, Granola Plant artisanal granola, a selection of Muranda cheeses, Sfoglini pasta, and of course, Laurel’s Butter.
Seeing foot traffic well into the thousands on a daily basis, the terminal is a seasonally busy spot.
In addition to all the food stuff, there’s beer, wine, beach umbrellas, towels and flip-flops, plenty of sunscreen, hats, pool noodles and sand toys, as well as small house gifts and Fire Island and South Shore emblazoned merch. Hands full? The shop offers delivery to Fire Island.
With this all-local focus, the store's ultimate goal is a Taste NY certification, a New York State program that highlights New York producers and retailers..
South Shore Market at the Fire Island Ferry Dock, 99 Maple Avenue, Bay Shore, 631-820-0777.Open Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
