Hardware Store Coming to Wainscott

A won't be the only new store headed for Wainscott.

Wainscott Hardware is opening in the hamlet in mid-May. Located in the former , next to , the 3,000-square-foot store is situated directly on Montauk Highway.

Owner Juan Carlos Diaz jumped at the opportunity to lease the space, which he said is convenient for customers living and working in the Wainscott-Sagaponack-Bridgehampton area who want to avoid traffic going into Bridgehampton and East Hampton, and get back on the job quickly.

A contractor in East Hampton for 18 years, Diaz knows first-hand how much time it takes to pick up a half-sheet of plywood and how the extra time can hurt the bottom line.

"The idea is to have things for the small guy," he said of small contractor companies and the weekend-warriors. "If you have to run to Riverhead, the whole day's gone."

He has wanted to open a hardware store for some time, but never found the perfect location until now. For the past month, he has been busy remodeling the interior, building shelves and counters, while also fixing up the exterior space, including putting up a new fence and gate.

An independent hardware store, it will carry Stanley Tools, Black & Decker, Levinson Electric, Midwest Fasteners, among many others. The store will also be stocked with basic masonry supplies, lawn and garden supplies, like hoes and mulch, cleaning supplies, LED lighting, pool supplies, sprinkler systems.

While it will sell basic white paint and spray paint, it will leave most of the painting needs to its neighbor, , in the Wainscott Shopping Complex.

Diaz, who will continue to run his construction company JC Diaz Inc., has started the business with his wife, Cristina, and daughter, Maria Bartelme, who will be the general manager.

In catering to the small contractors and DIY homeowners, Diaz has plans for long days; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

Wainscott Hardware is located at 338 Montauk Highway, Wainscott. They can be reached at 631-237-1766.