Long Island will soon get to know Cornucopia Natural Foods much better.
Cornucopia, a popular downtown Sayville hangout for nearly half a century, will open a second grocery store in the Station Yards complex at Ronkonkoma Train Station, developers announced.
Construction on Cornucopia’s new location – a 7,000-square-foot space in the 52-acre mixed-use complex across from the Long Island Rail Road station – is scheduled to begin this fall.
“Cornucopia will provide a fantastic, healthy one-stop shop for your healthy food needs in Station Yards,” said Maria Valanzano of TRITEC Real EstateCompany, the developers of Station Yards. “It will be extremely beneficial for residents and the local community to have a healthy food market right on their doorstep. Train passengers will also have the convenience of grabbing a snack or drink before their journey.”
Independently owned Cornucopia was founded in 1976 by Lynne Dougherty, who was motivated by her personal health story to expand health and wellness options in her hometown. The company grew steadily and moved to a 5,000-square-foot space on Main Street in Sayville in 2017.
Dougherty has since transferred ownership to her son Jonathon, who sold the business to Cornucopia’s longtime general manager Drew Alexander last year. More than 10,000 customers are enrolled in the store’s loyalty program.
Just like the Sayville store, Cornucopia at Station Yards will offer gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian and paleo products. The store will also be 100% non-GMO and only offer ethically and humanely sourced animal products.
“My goal has always been to grow the business and better serve the community,” Alexander said. “We want to provide the healthiest and most environmentally friendly options for our customers while creating the best workplace for our employees.”
“The move to Station Yards will help us become even more environmentally conscious and expand our reach and charitable efforts,” he added.
Station Yards will ultimately comprise 1,450 apartments, 195,000 square feet of retail space and 360,000 square feet of office space. TRITEC completed the first phase of 489 apartments, Alston Station Yards, in 2021. Earlier this year, residents began moving into The Core, a 388-apartment branch of Station Yards.
“I like the idea of a downtown center that is exclusively home to local businesses, and I am especially excited to bring our mission of sustainability and social responsibility to Ronkonkoma,” Alexander said.
Jimmy Coughlan, Executive Vice President of TRITEC, is pleased about the expansion of Station Yards to include Cornucopia.
“Their commitment to quality and community aligns perfectly with our vision for this development,” he said. “We are confident that Cornucopia will be a tremendous asset to the residents and visitors of Station Yards.”
Top photo: (From left) Kelley Coughlan Heck, executive vice president and partner of TRITEC; Meaghan Coughlan Treat., development manager at TRITEC; Michele Zahakis, wellness category manager at Cornucopia; Rachel Salvitti, merchandising and marketing manager at Cornucopia; Drew Alexander, owner of Cornucopia; Chris Kroger, grocery manager at Cornucopia; and Chris Kelly, senior vice president at TRITEC.
