ShopRite celebrates Port Jefferson grand opening with donations

ShopRite celebrated the grand opening of its newest Long Island location Friday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a donation to two local nonprofits.

The new ShopRite is located in the Station Plaza shopping center at 5145 Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station. The fully renovated 68,000-square-foot grocery store fills the space that was formerly occupied by Pathmark and is operated by Gallagher Family Markets, which also owns and operates the ShopRite locations in Selden and Lake Ronkonkoma.

Charles Gallagher, president of Gallagher Family Markets, says the new store will employ about 250 people and feature an on-site dietitian to provide free nutrition counseling to customers. Robyn Kenul, the store’s registered dietitian, says shoppers can meet with her for one-on-one wellness consultations and help with finding healthier food choices to buy.

During the ribbon-cutting, Gallagher presented a $10,000 check to Long Island Cares, which the group estimates will cover about 12,000 meals, and a $1,000 check to the Rocky Point VFW.

“We found a great welcome when we came to Brookhaven,” Gallagher said at the event, praising Long Island’s tight-knit community. “One of the first people to welcome us was the VFW.”

Gallagher also announced a partnership that will allow the supermarket to donate all of its surplus products to Long Island Cares food banks, including baked goods and produce. He says the family is excited about bringing ShopRite to Port Jefferson and giving back to the area’s food banks.

“There’s a lot of small towns that would envy the sense of community we really have here.”

The Port Jefferson ShopRite will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.