Some Port Washington residents are still mourning the loss of the convenience they enjoyed at The Barn, when it shut its doors earlier this spring. The drive-thru grocery chain will soon be home to Alma Bank, whose corporate offices are in Astoria.
Aegina Angeliades, an owner of The Barn, which purchased the Port Washington site from The Dairy Barn in June 2012, said the company could not make a financial go of it here.
Closing the Port Washington site, she said, was "with a very heavy heart."
"When we first purchased that location we were excited to operate a business that we held so close to our hearts," she said.
"I grew up a mile away and had fond memories of going to the former Dairy Barn as a kid with my mom," she added. "I also still know a lot of people in the community and was glad to get their feedback as Barn customers and further enhance their Barn experience."
Those changes included bringing in healthy snack items, a focus on customer service to understand what Port residents consumed, treats for dogs and more. And as much as locals loved the ability to shop for food without leaving their cars, the operation in Port Washington struggled.
"We knew that the store was not generating enough revenue to cover its expenses but we were confident that our changes would have a positive impact," Angeliades said.
"We quickly added organic products, healthy snacks and trendy brands, expecting to see a good response in sales," she added. "We advertised in Newsday and social media hoping to generate more awareness. We got involved with local schools and made donations."
Yet, it wasn't enough.
"The upsetting and confusing thing was that customers seemed to acknowledge and value our efforts but sales started to decrease," Angeliades pointed out. "We brought in new staff and designated a district manager to oversee the store, making sure it was stocked with product and running smoothly."
Still, sales decreased. "They didn't even stay the same," Angeliades noted.
If there were any lessons in it for Angeliades, it's the importance of shopping local.
"This experience has motivated me to make an effort and support businesses that I like because I want them to stay around," she said.
She added, "I live in Queens and there are no Barn Stores by me, but there are many local places that I appreciate and I am making it a point to consistently and frequently shop in them because I want them to thrive and be there for me in the future."
The company also shut down a Smithtown location, but has nearly 30 other locations on Long Island, Angeliades said.
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