Fine Fare Bellport owner reveals his plans

In 2004, after three years of transforming the formerly lackluster IGA Brentwood supermarket, William Lukeman was among five IGA retailers—four in the U.S., one in New Wales, Australia—awarded IGA’s prestigious Global Award for excellence in retailing, among 4,400 IGA retailers worldwide.

Now, he’s tackling the previous IGA Cirillo’s in Bellport, at 115 South Country Road, with his magic touch success record. “I have six Fine Fare stores on Long Island,” Lukeman said, “including the former IGA in Brentwood. I just signed the lease for the Bellport store and provided two months security,” Lukeman told the Advance. “The lease is for 20 years.”

Lukeman estimated the store opening would take place late April, early May.

“We’ll redo the whole store, including new Air Flo refrigeration,” he said. “In New York State, you have to invest in a certain type of refrigerant because of the green laws (which aim for major renewable energy targets.) There will be new registers, cases, custom cheese bar, custom flower case. It will be at least a $3 million investment.”

His success strategy is consistent: If a customer has a specific request, honor it, appreciate their patronage and appreciate staff. Also, carry great products. “I’m in all six stores every day,” he said. “I have to walk my markets. I’m single and cook every night (Lukeman has five daughters and a son, all grown), so I know what’s there and what’s not there. All the customers know me; they come up to me and we chat. Another thing: my staff sees how I treat my customers. We even have customer appreciation parties.”

The parties tend to be rousingly enthusiastic, especially at the 700 Suffolk Avenue Brentwood Fine Fare; 2,000 toys for children were distributed at Christmas.

“Without the customers,” he said frankly, “we’re not being fed.”

He estimated staffing at 25 full-time and part-time employees. Lukeman said he’s had lifetime employees: staffers meet, marry, then the next generation comes in.

“We’ll have full departments: a fresh deli with Boar’s Head meats, in-house butcher meats from Porky Products (Porky Products is a distributor of beef, pork, poultry, lamb, veal, and other foods). We’ll be carrying prime. My produce is never warehoused. I only carry top quality and top names, and get the produce from Texas, where the major produce warehouses are located. I do country-of-origin products—Italian-based, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Venezuelan, Dominican—foods Black populations favor. All my stores carry country-of-origin products. Copiague has a full aisle of Dominican products. Riverhead has a full aisle of Polish items.”

Fine Fare Riverhead even has a Facebook video in English and Polish: “Discover the Polish products that bring warmth, comfort, and a little piece of home to every table.”

There’s no doubt that Lukeman is a hard worker. He was raised by a single mom. She provided his first pivotal example of how to earn success.

“I grew up poor,” he said. “She was a career waitress at the Gateway Diner at Route 111, and I got to see a lot of influential people who stopped there en route to the Hamptons. My inspiration was to better myself, and my mother always said hard work will make you successful. She worked 60 hours a week to support the three of us. So, I worked as a bus boy, dishwasher, short-order cook, and a cart boy for King Kullen Grocery Co. in the beginning. Every supermarket along the way that I worked at taught me something.”

Lukeman said he found out about the empty Bellport Cirillo’s nine months ago from Fran Cirillo.

“Fran owned an IGA in Amagansett and the one in Bellport,” he said.  “Bozutto’s Inc. (a family-owned leading total service wholesale distributor, established in 1945) purchased two locations, including Amagansett.  Now Bozzuto’s owns the whole East End. I drove to the empty Bellport store, saw the sign and reached out to the Stallers. They came to my Copiague store and liked what they saw.”

The empty store, for Lukeman, was a find. “I fell in love with Bellport.  I said to myself, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this.’”

Negotiations weren’t easy, but several helped, he said, including Jonathan Abad, CEO of General Trading Co. Inc.

“Jonathan came down, had the discussion with the Stallers, and how I conduct myself and my stores,” Lukeman said. “After that, Jonathan was back and the negotiations were successful with Frank’s [Trotta] help. He would always say, ‘I’ll talk to Cary.’”

The storefront property is owned by Staller Associates Realty Inc. Cary F. Staller is president of Staller Associates Inc.

“Frank [Trotta] was instrumental on pushing the deal across the finish line,” Lukeman emphasized. “He loves the Bellport community and didn’t have to do anything. And Maureen [Veitch] and the building department and the fire marshals couldn’t have been more cooperative.”

Former mayor Frank Trotta, who grew up working in his father and uncle’s supermarket on Main Street in Bellport Village, said Veitch gave him the assignment after he offered his assistance, noting the Facebook posts.

“I’m glad I was able to help,” he said.

Veitch joked that when Lukeman came to Village Hall to pitch his grocery store, “we practically jumped across the counter.”

The deal, said Veitch, “was a real cooperative effort between Village Hall, Frank Trotta, William Lukeman and Carey Staller. Everyone tried to make it work. Negotiations take time, and Staller wanted the right fit. What I liked about Lukeman’s store is that the products are tailored to the community.”

She stressed the importance of the community’s role, stepping up to support the new store.

Lukeman said there will be a big grand opening when it happens.

“We’ll definitely have a band,” he said.