Fine Fare Bellport expected to open mid-October following licensing, equipment delays

Fine Fare Bellport, a supermarket set to replace the former Cirillo’s Market IGA, has moved its expected opening date to mid-October, ownership has said.

The Fine Fare at 115 S. Country Rd. in Bellport has faced some delays in receiving necessary licenses and equipment it needs before opening, pushing back plans for an original late-summer opening, co-owner William Lukeman said.

The roughly 8,500-square-foot supermarket, small in comparison to most grocery stores, will open "in mid-October, no matter what because the community needs food,” Lukeman said Wednesday.

Investments into renovating the property, which include custom refrigeration units and shelving, replaced HVAC systems, electrical panels, gas lines and grease traps, have reached more than $3 million so far, he said.

Lukeman, who co-owns the store with two business partners, said a few recent issues have popped up that have delayed the opening, including approval from the New York State Liquor Authority to sell beer and wine, as well as federal authorization to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Compounding the delay is the late delivery of new electronic pricing tags that also were slated to arrive last month, Lukeman said, adding that the shipment of the pricing tags has been "stuck at the port."

Despite the hiccups, the store is making progress, he said.

Interviews for available jobs continue, and management plans to have 45 workers on staff at the opening, he said.

Lukeman co-owns five other Fine Fare stores on Long Island with his partners. Of the existing stores in Copiague, Riverhead, Farmingville and two in Brentwood, the Bellport store will be the smallest.

The site of the former Cirillo’s, which closed in 2023, sat vacant for years as community members, including Bellport Mayor Maureen Veitch, advocated for the landlord to bring in another grocery store.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the store would open in November.