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Health & Fitness

Fight For Your Farm

The popular and successful Riverhead eatery Farm Country Kitchen is being unjustly singled out by our Town -- for being successful.

Upon hearing yesterday's news that the Riverhead Town Board is needlessly spending taxpayer dollars on bringing legal action against it's most successful small business in many years, Farm Country Kitchen, I felt compelled to articulate my outrage (as it seems that many residents in this town are as well.)

As a lifelong resident of the town and someone who takes pride in this town by actively supporting local businesses, as well as someone who loves great dining, great value, the preservation of our rural way of life and great relationships, I have been a regular patron of Farm Country Kitchen for the last four years and am fortunate to be a friend to Tom, Maria, Sherry, Todd and the great staff there.

As Farm Country Kitchen has been in existence since 2004, it wasn't nearly what people know it as today.  It started out extremely small, a couple of people being served fresh sandwiches, paninis, and salads in a tremendously unique setting down by the riverfront, taking full advantage of the natural beauty that Riverhead and the East End has to offer.

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With time and tremendous hard work through providing value and fostering relationships, Farm Country Kitchen grew exponentially into not only a successful eatery, but a highly valued brand only matched by a couple of longstanding businesses in this town that now strongly resonates far beyond Riverhead's borders (Papa Nick's and Rendezvous come to mind).  People come from all over on day trips from NYC, NJ and other areas just to experience Farm Country Kitchen's uniqueness and charm.

Aside from the fare, hard work and ambience, what made them so successful? 

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Word of mouth advertising.

Amid a challenging economic environment, and in a questionable part of town with very little parking, Farm Country Kitchen has become the premier eatery in Riverhead.

And now, the supposed "pro-business" Town wants to spend significant legal dollars and court fees to stop it because of the semantics of their original C.O, lack of handicapped accessibility and limited parking?

Easy solution - actually have a meeting with the business owners, review/address the C.O, put in a ramp and sub-lease parking nearby (which I believe the latter two are already in the works).

Does that easy solution require this legal action to be aired through the local news media rather than to engage the owners at the relationship level without looking like a bunch of bureaucratic schmoes? 

Hardly.

This legal action wreaks of local politics when other "befriended" businesses of this town and local Business Improvement leaders may not have Site Plans, yet are crying "competition" foul because they have ample parking and are situated in downtown Riverhead, but draw 1/10th of the interest that Farm Country Kitchen does.

Amazingly, (and contrary to overwhelming public opinion that support Farm Country Kitchen), I have actually read postings on boards from the head of Riverhead's Business Improvement District that openly questioned Farm Country Kitchen's disposal of waste (suggesting it is dumped in the River) and condemning them for not being "compliant", citing safety issues from the limited parking.

As a civic "leader" of this town, I'd expect more of a collaborative spirit to help a fellow business owner that supports business development rather than petty jealously and condemnation.

With all of the primary issues that this town faces between EPCAL, quality of life, taxes and lack of business tax revenue, layoffs of our school and town employees and downtown still being 75% vacant, THIS is considered primary business for our town?

There also needs to be serious consideration that the owner of Farm Country Kitchen has been a Riverhead taxpayer for 20+ years covering 4 properties, sends his children to our schools, supports many local businesses and supports scores of local charities who knock on his door asking for donations of his great food and catering services.

That's much more than most of the downtown business owners in "the network" can say, as a number of them may not be Riverhead residents to begin with.

As I read the latest "State of the Town" address that waxed poetic around Riverhead's progress, this is how it was concluded:

"When I look out at the energy and devotion of the people in this room I see the ability to tackle any problem, to come together to make this town shine again and I see why this place is so special. I may be Town Supervisor but it is in all of our hands to move this town we love forward. I know we will rise to the challenge and I am happy to be here tonight with you –the people that make our town ‘Positively Riverhead.’

To date, Farm Country Kitchen has done nothing BUT make this town shine, showcase the beauty of our riverfront and shown what great service, food and value can do for business growth in Riverhead.

It's time for the Town to properly give Farm Country Kitchen and a local Riverhead resident business owner the due respect that their family has worked for and so richly deserves.

Especially when your public employees, taxpayers, private sector and county/state workers and voting public love and frequent that establishment on a regular basis.

If you love this place, call Town Hall and fight for your Farm!

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