Giunta's Meat Farms to Acquire King Kullen Supermarket Chain

Two Long Island supermarket families announced a deal that would hand ownership of King Kullen Grocery Co. to Oakdale-based Giunta's Meat Farms, a transaction the companies said could close as early as September.

Oakdale-based Giunta's, which currently operates 10 locations, would absorb 24 King Kullen stores and four Wild by Nature natural foods markets under the agreement. Both companies are family-owned and have operated on Long Island for generations. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

In a joint statement, the two chains described the arrangement as bringing together companies with shared values and deep roots in the local market. Giunta's co-owner Joseph Giunta called King Kullen "America's first supermarket and a significant part of Long Island's history." King Kullen Grocery Co. President and COO Tracey Cullen, a fourth-generation member of the founding family, said the goal was to find a buyer that understood what made the chain special.

Founded in Hauppauge, King Kullen traces its origins to Queens in 1930, when Michael J. Cullen opened the store that the Smithsonian Institution recognizes as the country's first supermarket. The Giunta family entered the grocery business in Queens in 1952 and is now run by the third generation.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, which represents King Kullen employees, acknowledged the deal and said workers deserve clear communication throughout the transition. UFCW Local 1500 President Robert W. Newell Jr. called it a significant development for Long Island's grocery industry. The companies said Giunta's intends to retain all King Kullen and Wild by Nature staff.

The acquisition comes amid fierce competition on Long Island from national chains including Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and ALDI. A previous bid to sell King Kullen to Stop & Shop fell through in 2020 during the pandemic.