Store opens with celebration and donations to the community

After a year of waiting, the Stop & Shop on Atlantic Avenue in Oceanside officially opened its doors to the public at 6 a.m. on May 13. But the evening before, the store held a grand opening celebration.

Invited guests — as well as members of the public who came in — had the chance to wander around and inspect the pristinely stocked shelves and the amenities the store offers, while sampling food provided by the store and some of its

vendors.

“Supermarkets are not what they used to be,” Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is absolutely gorgeous.”

Built on the former site of Camp DeBaun, the supermarket features environmentally conscious design elements, including preserved wetlands behind the parking lot. The building also features energy-efficient lighting and refrigeration systems. The store has a number of skylights, and sensors dim the lights when daylight is brightest.

The 56,871-square-foot store — which employs about 150 people — has a Citizens Bank branch and a café. All proceeds from the café will go to Oceanside Community Service.

And in the spirit of serving the community, Stop & Shop donated $1,000 to each of three local charities: St. Anthony’s Parish Outreach, the Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and the Oceanside Senior Community Service Center.

“When I go to Albany, I tell people what we have on Long Island, what we have in Nassau County, and how fortunate we are to have people in our community that care about people,” said Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg of Long Beach, who attended the ribbon-cutting. “When you have businesses that are obviously caring about our people that they’re upgrading and providing the greatest technology and the most happy and healthy environment … everybody in the state would like to use Long Island as a model. Everybody in the state is envious of what we have.”

The store will be open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Pat Derise, a 20-year Stop & Shop employee and Oceanside resident, is the new store’s manager. The other store in Oceanside, at 3577 Long Beach Road, will remain open as well.

“I can’t wait to come shopping here,” said Murray. “In the Town of Hempstead, we love to see good businesses make their homes here. This is a wonderful, wonderful addition to the Oceanside community. I congratulate all the folks that have done such a wonderful job building this beautiful place.”