THE HORRIBLE FIRE ISLAND GROVE MARKET
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THE GREED OF THE
GROVE MARKET
OWNERS
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Tel: 631-597-6239
****
THE GREED OF THE
GROVE MARKET
OWNERS
****
Tel: 631-597-6239
****
The Horrible Grove MarketWe just got back from our favorite celebrity getaway, Cherry Grove Fire Island. We had a wonderful time hanging out at Cherry's Dance club and The beautiful Island Breeze restaurant, both right on the water. We even got to party with our favorite hotel owner, from Dune Point, Petra. But, one very other sad point besides the Cherry Grove Beach Hotel, is the Grove Market in the heart of the village. This place plain and simple is a ripoff to the residents who live on the island and the tourists who go out there to enjoy the clubs and restaurants. Besides breaking New York State Milk laws, by charging $2.99 for a quart of milk, they cheat you an just about everything else. The New York Post that costs 25 cents in the city, costs you a buck there. They cross out the price. They charged me $6.99 for a half a gallon of Ice Tea, the same that I would get for a $1.69 in the city. They ripped me off for a pint of half and half at $2.25, $3.99 for a dozen eggs, $6.50 for bacon, one very small tomato was $1.85. A aspirin for my sick kid was 2 bucks. Over the years, when you said something, they said it was freight cost. Well let me tell you something you sleazy crooks at the Grove Market, it does not cost 75 cents to bring a New York Post onto the island nor does it cost 2 bucks to bring a quart of milk to the island. It also does not cost $2.70 to bring a dozen eggs to the island. When you argue with them more, they say they have to make their money in the 7 months they are open. They make more money in the 7 months they are open than any regular business open all year, because they have a captive audience.
Now the prices you could swallow, if you could count on the business to serve the community, but you can not. Last Friday in the afternoon, we looked at their business hours. I wanted to make sure we got there before they closed to get more snacks and more beer. The sign on the door said open till 10:30 pm. Well we had a rain storm on the island, but every one was still going to the clubs, partying in their hotels and the island was in a party mood. Around 9 pm, a few of us in the hotel decided to walk in the pouring rain and lighting to the Grove Market to get some food and tons of beer. We would have spent 200 bucks at least. When we finally got to the town, the store was closed, when it was supposed to be open. We were soaked and disappointed that we walked all that way, only to be left out in the rain with nothing. The next morning I asked who I think was the owner, why he was not open when he had a sign on the door saying he was open till 10:30 pm. He said it was slow, and he does not like to stay open unless it's busy and hes making money. I looked at this ugly sleazebag and said, " This is not right. You have to be open when you say you will be. You have to serve the community and it is not right for you to close because you are not making a million bucks that night. I told him the residents count on his store on being open when you say you will be." He point blank told me that he can close when he wants, and if he's not making money, he will close, and If I wanted the store to be open, I could buy it and stay open as long as I wanted. I then looked at this greedy F**K and told him he was ripping off the residents of Fire Island and that he was ripping off the tourists. I told him it was not right to only be there to make the big money, he had to take the busy time with the slow time. He said, " He didn't care, and that he was there for the money". It reminds me of a story when I was young and working as a waiter in Bayville Long Island. I worked at the world famous Steves Pier One. There was a huge hurricane and the town of Bayville was half under water. I called the owner, and said I guess he was not opening. He told me to get there no matter what. He said, " The people expect us open and we are here to serve the people". As pissed off as I was for having to find a way to get there, the owner Steve Karathanos was so right. The people counted on us, and we did serve some customers. We were a godsend to be open for them. After speaking to several residents of the island, they told me that they order all their food from the mainland, because the market is so horrible. They also said the freight is hardly anything, so the Grove Market is full of S**T. They also noted, that if the store had fair prices, they would shop there and the market would end up making more money in the long run, because residents wound not be ordering food from the mainland. This makes so much sense. If you are visiting this wonderful beach town, bring your own food. Never shop at this supermarket. Carry your rolls, cold cuts and whatever else you need. Bring your own beer.
As We were leaving Cherry Grove, I walked past the Grove Market. As I looked through the window I saw the greedy owner counting his cash register, like the Scrooge he is. Counting every dollar and every cent that he managed to squeeze out of the nice people in this very nice town. I thought to myself, that one day there would be justice to this greedy human being !
Photo By: James Edstrom
Now the prices you could swallow, if you could count on the business to serve the community, but you can not. Last Friday in the afternoon, we looked at their business hours. I wanted to make sure we got there before they closed to get more snacks and more beer. The sign on the door said open till 10:30 pm. Well we had a rain storm on the island, but every one was still going to the clubs, partying in their hotels and the island was in a party mood. Around 9 pm, a few of us in the hotel decided to walk in the pouring rain and lighting to the Grove Market to get some food and tons of beer. We would have spent 200 bucks at least. When we finally got to the town, the store was closed, when it was supposed to be open. We were soaked and disappointed that we walked all that way, only to be left out in the rain with nothing. The next morning I asked who I think was the owner, why he was not open when he had a sign on the door saying he was open till 10:30 pm. He said it was slow, and he does not like to stay open unless it's busy and hes making money. I looked at this ugly sleazebag and said, " This is not right. You have to be open when you say you will be. You have to serve the community and it is not right for you to close because you are not making a million bucks that night. I told him the residents count on his store on being open when you say you will be." He point blank told me that he can close when he wants, and if he's not making money, he will close, and If I wanted the store to be open, I could buy it and stay open as long as I wanted. I then looked at this greedy F**K and told him he was ripping off the residents of Fire Island and that he was ripping off the tourists. I told him it was not right to only be there to make the big money, he had to take the busy time with the slow time. He said, " He didn't care, and that he was there for the money". It reminds me of a story when I was young and working as a waiter in Bayville Long Island. I worked at the world famous Steves Pier One. There was a huge hurricane and the town of Bayville was half under water. I called the owner, and said I guess he was not opening. He told me to get there no matter what. He said, " The people expect us open and we are here to serve the people". As pissed off as I was for having to find a way to get there, the owner Steve Karathanos was so right. The people counted on us, and we did serve some customers. We were a godsend to be open for them. After speaking to several residents of the island, they told me that they order all their food from the mainland, because the market is so horrible. They also said the freight is hardly anything, so the Grove Market is full of S**T. They also noted, that if the store had fair prices, they would shop there and the market would end up making more money in the long run, because residents wound not be ordering food from the mainland. This makes so much sense. If you are visiting this wonderful beach town, bring your own food. Never shop at this supermarket. Carry your rolls, cold cuts and whatever else you need. Bring your own beer.
As We were leaving Cherry Grove, I walked past the Grove Market. As I looked through the window I saw the greedy owner counting his cash register, like the Scrooge he is. Counting every dollar and every cent that he managed to squeeze out of the nice people in this very nice town. I thought to myself, that one day there would be justice to this greedy human being !
Photo By: James Edstrom
Comments
(My neighbor sells FRESH hen eggs for $1.50 a dozen... yolks so orange and rich they beg for an omelet or two.)