Between the end of September and the middle of October, the South Fork lost two grocery stores that had been open for years and gained a 90,000-square-foot Target. The losses were at opposite ends of Montauk Highway. Herb's Market in Montauk closed after 63 years, and Lidl in Westhampton Beach, the largest grocery store in that village, closed on October 11. The new store went up in Bridgehampton, which now has a Target, a King Kullen and a Citarella in one town. For anyone shopping out east through the winter, the weekly run now leans more toward the middle of the fork than it did in August.
Westhampton Beach Swapped Grocers in Six Months
Westhampton Beach's change started in the spring. Citarella opened at 141 Montauk Highway on Thursday, April 30, 2026. It is the company's fourth Hamptons store and its eighth overall, joining the Southampton, Bridgehampton and East Hampton markets, and it's open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Owner Joe Gurrera told The Southampton Press that "locals have been asking us for a Westhampton Beach market for years." He said the company tore down the old building on the site and built a new one from the ground up. Inside are a prime beef dry-aging tower, a hot food bar, a bakery, sushi and catering. The store stays open year-round and added about 60 year-round jobs.
Five months later, the village lost its biggest grocery. The Lidl at 70 Sunset Avenue was 29,118 square feet, and Newsday described it as the largest grocery store in a village that otherwise has several small markets. Lidl's lease ran out in March, and an extension kept the store open into the fall. Cary Staller, whose firm represents the landlord, told Newsday that the company "felt the market really wasn't right for them. It was sort of this upscale vacation market and it didn't fit in with their prototype." Spark Hamptons reported October 11 as the final day and said Lidl offered employees jobs at its other locations.
The Sunset Avenue space has turned over before. Waldbaum's closed there in September 2015, Best Market opened in 2016, and Lidl bought Best Market and converted the store in 2021. According to Newsday, the landlord has signed a new full-service supermarket tenant. The tenant hasn't been named, and no opening date has been announced. Until it opens, Westhampton Beach shoppers have a gourmet market on Montauk Highway, the village's smaller markets, and the drive to the next large supermarket.
Bridgehampton Picked Up the Big Box
Many of those shoppers will end up in Bridgehampton. Target opened to the public on the evening of Tuesday, October 6, in the old Kmart building at Bridgehampton Commons, 2102 Montauk Highway, and held its grand opening on Sunday, October 11. Store director Adriana Fitzpatrick told The Southampton Press that the 90,000-square-foot store is a "one-stop shop" for local families. It sells groceries along with general merchandise.
Here's what the store offers, according to Spark Hamptons' October 8 guide:
- Store hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Starbucks inside: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Groceries, sold alongside general merchandise
- Order Pickup and Drive Up, so you can order ahead and collect at the curb
At 11 p.m., the store stays open later than any other grocery stop in this post. The exterior also looks different from a typical Target. Target's own announcement describes gray shingles and white signage, with the bullseye and the parking-lot bollards adapted to Southampton Town's design guidelines.
A pharmacy is next. A Target spokeswoman told Newsday on October 8 that the store "will be adding a CVS pharmacy in early November." Patch also reported a November opening. Target's website already lists pharmacy hours and a direct line, 631-296-5006, which Spark Hamptons said on October 15 could mean an early start. Call before you move a prescription.
With Target open, Bridgehampton has a national big box, a King Kullen and a Citarella within one town, plus a pharmacy on the way. No other South Fork town has that combination this winter.
Montauk Lost the Counter It Had Since 1963
At the far end of the fork, the change went the other way. Herb's Market at 778 Montauk Highway closed at the end of September. Harold "Herb" Herbert opened it in 1963, and it was known for fried chicken, sandwiches and its butcher counter. Herbert and his wife Chrissie ran the store for about 38 years. It changed hands at least twice after that, and Joe Ferraro has owned it since 2012.
The store's last chapter included a chance for customers to take home a piece of it. When it announced the closing, it said it would sell its items and equipment. Mia Certic, executive director of the Montauk Historical Society, told Newsday, "We really need a store like Herb's. It was the place to grab a delicious sandwich." Former owner Gillian Mooney, who now runs the seafood restaurant Hooked in Montauk, told Newsday that the market is "an institution in Montauk." As of mid-October, nobody had announced a new business for the space.
For produce, Montauk has a seasonal option. Balsam Farms, which runs farm stands in Amagansett and Montauk, expects to stay open until Christmas, though The Express Magazine notes that what's on the tables late in the season depends on the weather.
The Supermarkets That Changed Owners Without Closing
One more change won't show on the storefronts yet. Giunta's Meat Farms completed its purchase of King Kullen in early October. Spark Hamptons reported the deal closed October 2 and covers 24 King Kullen supermarkets and four Wild by Nature markets. On the South Fork, that means the King Kullen stores in Eastport, Hampton Bays and Bridgehampton, plus Wild by Nature in Hampton Bays.
The companies said they don't expect any store closings or layoffs. Over the next few months, they will decide which stores keep the King Kullen name and which may become Giunta's. When the sale was announced, King Kullen COO Tracey Cullen told The Southampton Press, "We are confident they are the right steward of the King Kullen legacy." A new name on the Bridgehampton or Hampton Bays sign this winter would reflect that decision. The stores aren't closing.
Where Things Stand Going Into November
| Town | Change | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westhampton Beach | Citarella opens at 141 Montauk Highway | April 30, 2026 | Open daily, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., year-round |
| Westhampton Beach | Lidl closes at 70 Sunset Avenue | October 11, 2026 | Unnamed full-service supermarket signed, no date |
| Bridgehampton | Target opens in the former Kmart | October 6, 2026 | Open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| Bridgehampton | CVS pharmacy inside Target | Early November, per Target | Call ahead to confirm |
| Montauk | Herb's Market closes | End of September 2026 | No replacement announced |
| Eastport, Hampton Bays, Bridgehampton | King Kullen sold to Giunta's Meat Farms | Early October 2026 | Open; store names to be decided |
| Amagansett, Montauk | Balsam Farms stands | Through Christmas | Weather-dependent |
Restaurants are turning over too. Highway Restaurant & Bar at 290 Montauk Highway in Wainscott served its last dinner on September 7. In Southampton, Union Burger Bar moved to the Southampton Social Club property at 256 Elm Street and reopened October 8 as Union. It seats about 300 people, adds sushi and steaks to the burger menu, and hosts trivia, bingo and comedy. It's billed as a fall and winter operation. If you want to see what the summer looked like before this reshuffle, our Hamptons summer 2026 report covers the openings built for people who stay past August.
The two empty spaces to watch are 70 Sunset Avenue and 778 Montauk Highway. Westhampton Beach is waiting on a supermarket tenant that has been signed but not named. Montauk has no announced plan for its spot.
The team at Limitless LMK follows the East End year-round, not just in July. For a private conversation about Hamptons homes and how this winter's changes affect your part of the South Fork, arrange a private viewing with our team.
