East End Business Notebook: Shop Owners React to Recent Crimes

SOUTHAMPTON

Mini of Southampton Debuts New Showroom

The East End's sole Mini dealership, Mini of Southampton, welcomed the new year from a new location — a significantly larger showroom than its former home.

The remodeled showroom at 35 Montauk Highway in Southampton has the capacity for eight vehicles, which is twice the space of the dealership's old location on County Road 39A, sales manager James Reister explained Monday. Reister said that more room was needed to show off Mini's offerings because, since Mini came to America 10 years ago, it has grown from one model to six.

The greater size isn't the only benefit. "We have much better traffic and visibility," Reister said.

EAST HAMPTON

Landscaping Design Firm Comes 'Home'

Local landscape designers are returning to their roots.

Kim Hren, Linda Silich, and Andy Silich, Linda's husband, haved moved their design landscape firm to a nursery that has been in Hren's family for 70 years.

They are also expanding their current business to include a garden center at the newly named Groundworks Landscaping @ Hrens at 530 Montauk Hwy., on the western border of Amagansett. While they are growing their already established firm, they are also preserving a part of the town's history.

WESTHAMPTON-HAMPTON BAYS

Sweet Andy's Expands To The Web

Like a number of other local businesses that attract a large portion of their business seasonally, Sweet Andy's in Westhampton has branched out to capture customers in the off-season.

Recently, the cookie shop expanded to the web with a site that offers fresh cookie delivery by the bag.

NORTH FORK

Peconic Bay Winery Tasting Room Leaves Cutchogue

Peconic Bay Winery has moved its daily operations of its tasting room from Route 25 in Cutchogue to a newer facility at Empire State Cellars in the Tanger Mall complex in Riverhead, the vineyard announced on Monday.

The Cutchogue facility will remain open for large-scale special events, private functions and exclusive wine club get-togethers. The change-up happened Jan. 1, said general manager Jim Silver, who said he “agonized” over the decision to close the Cutchogue tasting room but said that the move will ultimately be more profitable for the company.

RIVERHEAD

Main Street Business Owners React to Recent Crimes

After a number of high profile crime reports in the Riverhead area recently, merchants on Main Street have mixed reactions.

Some business owners are battening down the hatches and amping up security systems; others feel concerns over a spike in crime are unwarranted.

Crimes reported around Riverhead in recent weeks include a string of armed robberies, including a hold-up at Barth's Drug Store on East Main Street; a couple held up at knifepoint after leaving the aquarium; a carjacking on Sound Avenue; and, most recently, armed gunmen who robbed CVS on Route 58. Another armed robbery was also reported on Doctors Path recently.