King Kullen Officially Acquired By Giunta's Meat Farms

LONG ISLAND, NY — It's official: Giunta's Meat Farms has completed its acquisition of King Kullen.

The King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. acquisition by Giunta's Meat Farms includes all 24 King Kullen supermarkets and four Wild by Nature natural foods markets across Nassau and Suffolk counties, a release said.

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The companies issued the following joint statement: "We are excited to officially bring together two family-owned Long Island supermarket companies with deep roots in the communities we serve. This marks an important new chapter for Giunta's Meat Farms and King Kullen, building on King Kullen's nearly century-long legacy and the strengths of both organizations. We look forward to using our greater buying power to lower prices while providing the quality and personal service customers have come to expect."

In the coming months, decisions will be made about which stores will retain the King Kullen name and which will transition to the Giunta's Meat Farms banner, the release said.

There are no current plans to close any stores, the release said. Additionally, all existing union contracts will be honored, and the companies do not anticipate employee layoffs as a result of the acquisition, officials said, adding that the immediate focus is on ensuring a smooth transition for employees.

Customers can look forward to expanded fresh produce, meat, and deli departments, competitive pricing, and strong everyday value, all involved said.

Important services King Kullen customers rely on, including pharmacy departments, will remain, the release added.

Headquartered in Oakdale, Giunta's Meat Farms is a family-owned supermarket company "dedicated to providing Long Islanders with the freshest produce, meats, deli items, and specialty foods," representatives said.

The Giunta family started in the supermarket business in 1952 in Queens and is now in its third generation. The company currently operates 10 locations on Long Island.

Headquartered in Hauppauge, King Kullen was founded in 1930 by Michael J. Cullen and is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America's first supermarket. Long Island's largest family-owned grocery chain, King Kullen operates 24 supermarkets and four Wild by Nature natural foods markets throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

It's not the first time a merger was announced: Stop & Shop and King Kullen terminated a proposed merger agreement, the supermarket chains said in 2020, during the pandemic.

Stop & Shop had previously announced in late 2018 that it would acquire all King Kullen supermarkets across Long Island.

A joint decision was made not to proceed with the acquisition because of "significant, unforeseen changes in the marketplace" that emerged since the agreement was signed in December, 2018, largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, those involved said at the time.