Business & Tech
8 New Businesses That Launched in Riverhead in 2013
Which new Riverhead business is your favorite?
New businesses sprouted up all over Riverhead over the past year. Here's a list of some of the new shopping locations around town.
1) Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! Opens in Riverhead: Just in time for the holidays Christmas Tree Shops andThat! opened its doors on Route 58 in Riverhead.The store offers bargains year-round, according to store reps, including seasonal items, home furnishings, housewares, food, gifts, and paper goods.
2) New Store, Five Below, Opens in Riverhead Friday: It's was a busy week in October for new businesses on Route 58 in Riverhead.
Five Below, a "specialty value retailer," opened at the Saber Riverhead Shopping Center on Route 58.
The store is located right next to Dick's Sporting Goods, which celebrated a three-day grand opening days earlier with a visit from Mets Hall of Famer John Franco.
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Also that week, Big Lots celebrated its ribbon-cutting on Route 58, in the Staples shopping plaza, by donating a $1500 check to the Riverhead Central School District.
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According to representatives, Five Below offers "trend-right, high-quality merchandise" to teens and pre-teens with everything in the store priced $1 to $5.
3) Big Lots Has Big Check for Riverhead Schools: The new Big Lots on Route 58 in Riverhead had a big, fat check for the Riverhead school district at its grand opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting in October.
Big Lots, in the same shopping plaza as Staples and Home Goods, is located at 1103 Old Country Road.
During the grand opening celebration, Big Lots district manager Rick Kominski presented $1500 to Riverhead High School; Charles Regan accepted the check on behalf of the school.
4) Scores of Early Birds Head to Opening Day at Dick's Sporting Goods:Baby, it was cold outside — but that didn't stop the scores of early morning shoppers who headed to the brand-new Dick's Sporting Goods store on Route 58 in October for the start of a three-day grand opening celebration, and great giveaways.
Staffers said customers started lining up around 5 a.m. — three hours before the doors were slated to open at 8 a.m., all in the hopes of grabbing one of the "Mystery Gift Cards" handed out to the first 100 customers.5) Local Hero Wins Grand Prize at Joe's Crab Shack Opening: Sometimes, good guys do finish first.
Joseph Oliver, 26, Riverhead resident and chief of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps, will be eating like a king -- for the rest of his life -- after winning the grand prize at the Joe's Crab Shack opening on Route 58 in Riverhead in June.
Oliver, a longtime Riverhead resident who owns two computer businesses and dedicates his free time as a volunteer for the Corps — as well as being a husband to wife Tammy and dad to daughter Kayla, 2 — is a busy man.
But not too busy to take time out and wait in line last week with scores of others who were hoping to be the first 100 inside Joe's Crab Shack after the ribbon cutting -- and win free crab for a year.
6) Vines & Hops Cafe Opens Doors in Downtown Riverhead: The days before their grand opening were busy for Jeff and Christine McKay, as they worked feverishly to put the finishing touches on their new business, the Vines & Hops Cafe, which had its grand opening and ribbon-cutting on East Main Street in September.
"We just got our liquor license last Friday," Jeff McKay said. "It feels as though we've been running a marathon — and then we had to stop and go to work."
The newly opened establishment features comfortable couches, bistro style tables made of barrels, fall flowers and outdoor lighting fixtures that give it the "cozy" feel the couple was striving toward.
Their dream was to create a place where customers could taste wines, beer and coffee in a place that felt as comfortable as their own living rooms.
And now, that vision has becoming reality, as the Jamesport couple opened at 127 East Main Street in downtown Riverhead.
7) New Store Brings 'Chic' To Downtown Riverhead: Fashion made a debut in downtown Riverhead as a new store, Chic Creations, NY, opened its doors in January.
Wendy and Felix Martinez, owners of the store, located at 49 East Main Street, will hosted a grand opening.
The couple, who live in Hampton Bays, commenced construction of the space in November, 2012 and completely renovated the interior.
The plan has been to offer a sophisticated, cosmopolitan boutique, with merchandise including custom-made and unique clothing for women, as well as accessories and jewelry.
8) Papa John's Cuts the Ribbon On East Main Street: The owners of Papa John's on East Main Street cut the ribbon to their new shop in May.
Papa John's moved in on East Main across the street from The Riverhead Project and next door to The Blue Duck Bakery and Ralph's Italian Ices - all of which have opened up with the past couple of years.
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