Happy Hostess owner Jay Post retires

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Jay Post, the longtime owner of the Happy Hostess, said he was ready to retire nearly two years ago. But his main concern was making sure the business he worked hard to build and maintain at a high level did not go away when he did. It had to be turned over to the right people.

That time has finally come.

The 72-year-old Post, who has been with Happy Hostess for 52 years, was scheduled to hand over the catering business to new owners, a brother and sister pairing, on Feb. 28. But he was proud to announce that the store name and his staff will remain at 318A Sunrise Highway, where the company moved to in 1951 after spending its first six years on North Village Avenue.

Post described the final few days of his ownership as “very hectic”, but still had time to reminisce about the good times with countless newspaper articles, commendation letters and citations adorning the walls.

“It’s emotional,” he said. “It hasn’t hit me yet. My wife said, ‘You sure you’re OK?’ I said, ‘I’m fine.’ I’m looking forward to having breakfast with my wife and not worry about getting into the store. I’m happy that I sold it so my men are able to have jobs and I’m happy for my customers that they’ll be able to come in, rather than do an auction.”

Some of the people who come in now, Post said, are third-generation customers.

The Happy Hostess has been a family-operated business since it first opened in 1945 and Post joined during the 1960’s to help his father, Ben, after two employees quit. Those two men formed a delicatessen nearby in hopes of shutting down Happy Hostess, even resorting to unusual methods, but things did not go as planned.

“They used to stand in front of my store their menus, that’s how bad it got,” he recalled. “It made us better.”

Post worked five and a half days per week, including weekends, and during the holiday season. He would sometimes go a month or more without taking a day off, just to ensure that his three children, all went to college.

When he was not working in the store, Post established a solid reputation in the community by serving as president of the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce and supporting the village’s Little League for over three decades. He was once recognized as the Rockville Centre small business owner of the year and received countless thank you notes from religious institutions, schools, and other store owners.

Sitting on a counter was a tall trophy he received last fall from Maple Pointe at Rockville Centre Assisted Living for their participation in its “Eat a Wing, Save a Breast” fundraiser.

Post is looking forward to spending time with his wife of 46 years, Roberta, three children Sarah, Alicia and Eric, and grandchildren Talia, 13, and Sam, 9. He enjoys gardening, tending his pond, fixing up his house, and traveling.

As his final days as owner wane down, Post said he sometimes tears up when he receives well-wishes from the customers.

“I’m getting, ‘We’re going to miss you,’” he said. “Thank God the store is going to be here. It’s nice. I tried my best.”