Schmidt's Market, a staple in Southampton for decades, rings up final grocery sales

Occupying a corner of the front counter at Schmidt’s Market in Southampton on Thursday was a handful of scattered items — a potted plant, a half dozen pumpkin doughnuts and a bottle of Ketel One — all sitting untouched as customers made their way to the register of the beloved grocer one last time.

These items were not for sale, but rather gifts from guests who remembered all the times the Schmidt family was there for them over four decades in business.

Barbara Wilson, a judge in town, spoke of a 95-year-old friend who relies on Schmidt’s for her groceries, which owner Dennis Schmidt delivers to her weekly at no additional cost.

“She doesn’t know what she’s going to do next week,” Wilson said, wiping away tears.

For residents of Southampton and neighboring hamlets, Schmidt’s has been a lifeline for the 33 years it occupied the building on North Sea Road, a quarter-mile south of the busy Route 27A corridor. In 1980, Schmidt launched the business as a produce market in Hampton Bays before moving into the space that will close for good Friday. Over the years it evolved to sell hot lunches at a better price than the gourmet market up the street, and butcher items.

In January, the McLaren family — which has owned the building for generations — informed Schmidt and his son, Dan, who helps run the business, that they intend to sell. The Schmidts, who have been tenants since 1989, had the property appraised and made several offers before negotiations ended. By summer, a for-sale sign was placed out front. The asking price: $8.75 million.

“This was the best location,” Schmidt said on the eve of the closure, as customers swarmed the store to say goodbye and grab marked-down grocery items.

Any remaining food items will be donated to the Shinnecock Indian Reservation and a food pantry in Sag Harbor.

The closure has been particularly hard for Dan Schmidt, whose earliest memories include riding around a local orchard on a golf cart, picking fresh fruit. By the time he was 9, he was on the cash register.

“Here we are after [33 years] and out the door,” said the younger Schmidt, 43, whose brothers, Dennis and Zach, also help out at the market, which employs about 30 area residents during peak summer season. “It’s very emotional. It’s a death.”

Dennis Schmidt, now 69 years old and ready to retire, said he hopes Dan can bring the market back to life in the near future at a new location. The family rebuilt the business after a kitchen fire in 2016.

On Thursday, Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren said he sent a letter to the landlord asking for an extension of the lease following the public outcry over the market’s closure. Marcia McLaren Collum, CEO of the company that owns the property, could not be reached Thursday for comment.

“This is a tight-knit community and everyone knows the amount of hard work [the Schmidt] family has put into this place,” said customer Paul Fallo, of Hampton Bays. “To have them get it taken away is unfortunate.”

Fellow customer Dave Krantz, also of Hampton Bays, said the market’s closure is more than a loss for the family that operated it.

“They’re taking something very dear from our community,” Krantz said. “A real loss.”