Say Goodbye To The G&T

The usual steady stream of cars was still pulling into the parking lot of the G&T Dairy Chicken House Tuesday afternoon, only to find the venerable deli and grocery store was closed - for good.

The business shut its doors on Monday, in anticipation of its sale to Southampton's Schmidt Brothers Produce Company, which plans to open an East Hampton branch. A deal is expected to be signed within a week.

Neither Dennis Schmidt nor Frank and Robert Tillinghast, who own the Race Lane business, would discuss the particulars of the sale.

A somewhat upscale "green grocer," Schmidt Brothers specializes mainly in fresh produce. On North Sea Road in Southampton Village, it also boasts a deli, a salad bar, fresh-cut flowers, dry and canned goods, and dairy products.

Hello Schmidt Produce

Mr. Schmidt said plans were to run "exactly" the same business as the Southampton store. He is now a co-owner of Schmidt Brothers, but will be the sole owner of the East Hampton store.

He said the business had not actively sought to expand, but saw the opportunity.

"It just kind of happened," he said of the G&T deal. "That was the only space we could think of in East Hampton that would be suitable for us. And we heard it became available."

The Tillinghasts had been close to selling the Chicken House to Artie Seekamp, the owner of Brent's General Store in Amagansett, but the deal fell through not long ago.

Race Lane Mainstay

Frank Tillinghast said he has been interested in selling the Race Lane mainstay for some time.

"I got 'em all through college now," he said of his three children. "You get tired of it after a while. None of the kids want it. [Mr. Seekamp] had been bugging me about it for about five years. That finally fell through, and this guy came along. . ."

Mr. Tillinghast said most of the Chicken House's six employees have already found other jobs. During the summers, the store provided jobs for many visiting Irish youths.

Like other family members, Mr. Tillinghast has worked at the store since its early days. He and Robert Tillinghast shared managerial responsibilities up until its closing.

"It's a demanding thing," he said, noting he had devoted nearly 38 years to G&T.

Started With Milk

G&T's roots on Race Lane stretch back to 1942, the first year the Tillinghast family began selling milk on the site from its Tillinghast Dairy Farm. In the late 1960s, the business merged with the Gould Brothers dairy on nearby Gingerbread Lane and formed G&T Dairy, which sold and delivered milk, eggs, and other products.

The Chicken House came later, in the'70s, when G&T decided to expand the business into a larger deli and grocery store. The casual establishment remained relatively the same over the years, resisting the forces of change that have swept through most of the village.

The Chicken House's no-frills approach - along with its buckets of fried chicken, homemade donuts, and other specialties - appealed to a large contingent of regulars, many a large contingent of regulars, many of whom loyally showed up each morning for coffee and the local scuttlebutt.

"They were here at 5 in the morning, and they didn't leave until 6," chuckled Mr. Tillinghast about one group of regulars. Six, of course, was when the store opened. "They'd come in and put the papers up, have some coffee, shoot the bull, and leave when we opened."

Richard Herrlin of East Hampton was not only a member of the five-o'clock crew, but also had a deeper connection with G&T, having worked there in his younger days.

The casual G&T Chicken House has remained relatively the same over the years, resisting the forces of change.

"It's the end of an era as far as I'm concerned," he said, "because I used to deliver milk out of there years ago." He said the Chicken House served as the morning meeting place for "a gang of us" who had formerly gathered at other, now defunct spots in the village, like Eddie's Luncheonette, Green's, and Pluchino's.

Milk Crates Did It

Until recently, the Chicken House had an indoor seating area, which became lively over breakfast and lunch. When the Tillinghasts turned the seats into office space, the morning crew simply moved outside, pulling up milk crates for their morning chat.

"That's what it was all about," said Mr. Herrlin. "We'd sit around and talk about the day's news before it happened."

Mr. Tillinghast said he will miss the social aspect of the business, but will welcome the free time. "It's a bittersweet type of thing," he said. "In some ways it's good and in some ways it's not."

Regardless, he said he was pleased with Schmidt Brothers as the owners-to-be. "They're very nice people," he said. "You don't see people like that very often . . . Everyone I've talked to and the people in the store all seem happy about it."

What of the daily breakfast club? Bagels and More may be its new home.

Mr. Schmidt said he hoped to be in business by mid-May, after completing mostly interior renovations to the building.

The Tillinghasts had been very close to closing a deal this winter with Mr. Seekamp. The Brent's General Store owner had plans ready, down to salad cases and a steam table, but apparently couldn't finalize an agreement.

Mr. Seekamp was out of town this week, but Mr. Tillinghast said the deal fell through because of timing.

"At the last moment, he asked if we'd take a down payment [and finish the deal next year]," said Mr. Tillinghast. "We didn't really want to do that. We just left it on the market, and then this guy came along."

The presence of a large produce dealer like Schmidt Brothers could have an impact on at least one nearby business. Jeff's Fancy Produce operates just several doors down on Race Lane. The owner of the popular fruit-and-vegetable stand, Jeff Hellerbach, declined to comment.

As for the Chicken House's breakfast club, Mr. Tillinghast said don't worry about them: "I believe they're at the bagel place [Bagels and More] on North Main Street. Somebody will take them!"