Women Embark on New Venture with Fork & Anchor

When Erin Fitzpatrick and Lucy Muellner decided to give up their busy lives in New York and start their own culinary business on the North Fork, the perfect location was proving elusive until they found Angel’s Country Store in East Marion.

The deal closed in early September and the women are official owners of the general store and the surrounding property. The grand opening for Fork & Anchor is scheduled for next spring, but the women are already working in the store and bringing their vision to the space.

Fitzpatrick owns her own event-planning business and is a sommelier; Muellner attended the French Culinary Institute and worked as a fashion stylist in Manhattan, so this is a completely new kind of venture for both. Having been regulars on the South Fork, they said they were more comfortable with the pace of the North Fork. Ready to start a new life, they renamed the store Fork & Anchor to give a nod to local farmers and the North Fork’s maritime history.

“We’re very excited. We started looking for spaces on the North Fork about a year ago and were lucky to find this space,” Fitzpatrick said.

While the duo does not plan many major structural changes to the building itself, they are planning on a few esthetic renovations. They plan to stock more local products and expand the selection of fresh produce and sundries. 

“There is a lot out there that can be sourced locally,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick said they will continue to make sandwiches the customers have grown accustomed to and even expand the menu. Eventually the women would like to offer pre-made picnic baskets as well.

Fitzgerald said the two had plans beyond the scope of a general store. They are planning to establish a community supported agriculture (CSA) cooperative in a barn on the property. Fitzpatrick said she has already spoken with local farmers who will be providing produce for their distribution center. In addition to the CSA, the two hope to start their own herb garden and support local artists once the space is renovated.

Buying the business and renovating the barn for the CSA was a costly proposition so the women turned to Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform, to help raise $10,000 for barn renovations. The response to their request for help was quick.

“We were successfully funded last week to get this project underway and will begin on the initial developments over this next year,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fork & Anchor is located on the Main Road in East Marion and is open daily until 7 p.m. For more information on the store, please call 631-477-3277.