When Sag Harbor's shoe store closed, Tracy Mitchell, director of Bay Street Theater, started driving to Bridgehampton for shoes. Since she was already there, she told a Sag Harbor Village roundtable in June, she began doing her grocery shopping at King Kullen instead of Schiavoni's on Main Street. One errand moved, and a whole weekly routine moved with it.
That small story explains why the store that opened at Bridgehampton Commons this week matters more than its square footage. Target unlocked its doors Tuesday evening, October 6, five days before its long-announced October 11 opening date. Most South Fork openings arrive in May and cut their hours by November. This one opened in October, runs daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and is adding staff through the holidays. It is a store built around the months when the East End belongs to the people who live here.
Two Years Dark, and Fifty Years of Big Boxes Before That
The building at 2102 Montauk Highway has a longer retail history than most addresses on the South Fork.
| Era | Tenant |
|---|---|
| Earlier decades | Woolco |
| Later decades | Caldor |
| Until October 2024 | Kmart, the last full-size Kmart in the mainland United States |
| October 2024 to October 2026 | Empty |
| October 6, 2026 | Target |
The 27east announcement of the grand opening traced that Woolco, Caldor and Kmart lineage across the building's last 50 years. When Kmart closed in October 2024, it took a whole category of shopping off the South Fork. The nearest Walmart, Costco and BJ's are all in Riverhead, so for two years a run for diapers, school supplies or a phone charger meant a drive into Riverhead traffic or waiting on a delivery window, as Long Island Wave put it. Riverhead was also home to the closest Target until now.
The store fills that gap with roughly 90,000 square feet. That is smaller than a typical Long Island Target. The contractor, EW Howell, described it as a Target Flex Format project with grocery, home essentials, apparel and electronics, plus a CVS Pharmacy and a Starbucks.
A Payroll That Grows Toward December
South Fork employment usually swells in July and fades after Labor Day. The Bridgehampton store opened with about 130 team members already hired, according to store manager Adriana Fitzpatrick, and "will also be hiring for seasonal positions." Long Island Wave reports that seasonal hiring will continue through the holidays. Estimates of the final headcount differ. Target's own fact sheet puts it at about 140, and Newsday reported 140 to 150 jobs eventually.
"Many of our team members live in our community so we aren't just working here, we're serving our own families, friends and neighbors," Fitzpatrick told 27east.
Compare that with how East End hospitality handles the same months. In a September report from Long Island Business News, Capri Southampton said it would welcome guests through November 1. Annie Hartley, its director of operations, called a year-round operation "a priority" the hotel hopes to move toward. Calissa in Water Mill stays open all year and has spent the past three winters as a chalet-style restaurant with mulled wine and fondue. This winter its lounge becomes the Charlie Fox Chalet, where guests 21 and older can order cannabis for delivery or pickup. Those are good options for a winter evening. The Target covers what an ordinary winter Tuesday requires.
Here is what the store offers on day one:
- Daily hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- A full grocery department alongside clothing, home, electronics and seasonal floors
- A Starbucks cafe and adult beverages
- Drive-up and in-store order pickup, plus same-day delivery
- An in-store CVS Pharmacy that is not open yet. 27east's opening coverage said it was slated for "next month," which points to November, but no date has been announced
Why This Target Is Gray
A store aimed at year-round residents still has to pass review by the Town of Southampton, and the building shows it. The East Hampton Star laid out the sequence. Target submitted an initial site plan to the town in December, negotiated amendments at a March Planning Board meeting, and received a building permit on July 30 for interior and exterior renovations.
The negotiation came down to fine details. The signage uses white lettering that is not lit from inside, on a gray background. Target's signature red bollards became an issue of their own, and the town building inspector concluded that red bollards count as signage while gray ones do not. Six parking spaces were given up to create 10 drive-up pickup stalls. According to 27east's Planning Board coverage, board members also disagreed about outdoor seating. Chairwoman Jacqui Lofaro raised snow clearing and litter, while Dennis Finnerty favored a more communal feel.
Inside, Newsday describes muted gray and white branding, Adirondack chairs, trellises, shingle-like finishes, cabana-style fitting rooms, coastal artwork and wicker-look lights. Fitzpatrick said the exterior and interior were designed to "align with the town's design guidelines to reflect its coastal theme."
Shoppers already lived with some of the cost of construction. While the work was underway, the internal drive through Bridgehampton Commons was closed. Getting from one end of the center to the other meant pulling out onto Montauk Highway and coming back in, which the town attorney called an inconvenience and a traffic nuisance.
The Main Street Question Follows the Errand
The arguments over this site go back a long way. The East Hampton Star recalls that opponents of the 1972 Plaza East project warned of traffic congestion, unfair competition for established merchants, and harm to the visual quality of the countryside. Half a century later the same questions came up in Sag Harbor, which is considering regulating "formula" businesses, the chains with standardized merchandise, décor and branding.
Opinions at the June 10 roundtable were split, and the Star's account reflects that. Kevin Menard, owner of Dragon Hemp Apothecary on Main Street and a Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce member, said chain stores and their customers could bring more traffic to his shop. Jesse Matsuoka, manager of Sen and K Pasa, warned that a prohibition could hurt "the small guys." He also said the Bridgehampton Target, which no Sag Harbor legislation can reach, "will hurt us."
Rich Warren of Inter-Science, the firm studying the issue for the village, added an observation that ties back to the seasons. East Hampton and Southampton have busy Main Streets in summer, he said, but formula stores largely abandon them in the off-season. The Bridgehampton store is a chain built to stay open through exactly those months. That is why Mitchell's account of one errand pulling a whole shopping trip with it applies to every village within driving distance of Montauk Highway this winter.
This Weekend on the South Fork
The official grand-opening celebration is Sunday, October 11. The same weekend is the last one for the 34th Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs through October 12. The festival's free Morning Talks take place at Lion's Nook, 10 Main Street in East Hampton, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11. Breakfast pastries, coffee and tea are complimentary.
On Sunday you can catch a 10 a.m. talk in East Hampton and still have the afternoon for the new store on Montauk Highway, which opens at 7 a.m. and stays open until 11 p.m.
How a South Fork home fits into daily life changes when the closest everyday store moves from Riverhead to Bridgehampton, and that change shows up most in the months the rest of the market overlooks. If you are weighing what year-round convenience means for a property you own or are considering on the East End, Irene Sarri is glad to talk it through with you. Let's Connect.
