Lone Man Standing On Love Lane Talks Business After Coronavirus

MATTITUCK, NY — Springtime on Love Lane in Mattituck usually means a burst of activity with shop owners getting into gear for the bustling summer season ahead.

But April finds Love Lane echoing quietly in the age of the new coronavirus: On Tuesday confirmed cases across Suffolk County reached 15,637, with 224 reported in Southold Town.

For Michael Affatato, owner of the Village Cheese Shop & Cafe on Love Lane, the empty streets and shops are disconcerting.

"I had to lay off the entire staff," he said. "Lia, my better half and my life partner, and I, we're exhausted. It's unbelievable, how radically Love Lane has changed. Love Lane is really just the hardware shop, the cheese shop, and the post office right now. It is absolutely surreal."

April, he said, is normally a very busy time for all the businesses on Love Lane. "It's very strange to see spring starting, and no stores. I'm worried about my friends and neighbors," he said.

That said, Affatato is holding down the fort at his own business, adapting to life after the emergence of the new coronavirus and working to keep the business sustainable.

Because the shop is technically in the "grocer" category, he's able to remain open; he also has a liquor license. And he's offering free deliveries, with no minimum charge, not only to the North Fork but to areas across Long Island including the Hamptons, Smithtown, Nesconset, Ronkonkoma and Lake Grove, among many others.

In addition to his usual array of delectable cheeses, Affatato now offers a full range of items including milk, yogurt, pasta, caviar, pesto, butter, ham, honey, and New York wines, for pickup or delivery. Any bottle of wine costs $15 under the new "fire sale prices," he said.

He's also offering a $40 cheese monger's platter that includes cheese and charcuterie; a full array of Easter baskets and goodies will be available for the holiday Sunday. Currently the store is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day but Saturday, when the doors stay open until 6 p.m.

Affatato wants his customers to know that the pair are "extremely careful," wearing gloves all day at the shop, and masks. "We wash our hands maniacally," he said.

"The cheese shop is a safe place to shop," he said. "It's never crowded," and never has more than four customers inside at one time; there are benches outside where customers can wait or pick up "contact free orders."

Deliveries are also contact free, Affatato said; he arrives with a mask and gloves and leaves the food at the door with a wave.

On the menu for deliveries are favorites including fondue to go, cheese platters, sandwiches, and even the regular grocery items Affatato now stocks.

Because the cafe is closed now, he's offering free loaners of pot, heaters and sticks for the fondue, as long as customers promise to bring them back; he even lent someone a cheese grater recently.

The community, he said, has fully embraced his efforts to stay open.

"The locals have been absolutely amazing," he said. "It brings tears to the eyes. They've been so supportive. It's been keeping us going. It allows us to keep the lights on."

Reflecting on the situation, he said: "We're telling everybody that we are taking it day by day. Every day that we wake up feeling healthy, we consider it a victory."

But Affatato admittedly can't wait for the day when coronavirus is just a memory.

Love Lane, he said, is a slice of "true Americana. I miss the company. I miss the camaraderie. I miss the human interaction."

For a look at the full Village Cheese Shop menu, click here.