When you step into Red Horse Market, you’re met with a bustling, cozy scene: tables piled with pastries and pies, blondies and brownies, the smell of fresh coffee in the air, and red-uniformed staff serving a milling crowd of One Percent-ers with familiar ease. Behind the deli and butcher counters, meats and seafood are neatly arranged. It also features a salad bar and soup station, produce and flowers, pastas and cheeses, and heaps of snacks — all thoughtfully chosen. The market is a kind of crossroads where all varieties of Hamptons people meet: locals and tourists, trade-parade craftsmen in coveralls, and Hampton Classic horsewomen in jodhpurs. But beyond the shelves lies something even richer: a story of a Latino family who started in service roles and worked their way into ownership — a journey of perseverance and deep commitment to the community.
In 1989 Pedro and Martha Pineda left their lives in Ecuador behind to pursue the American dream. Pedro, who had been an army officer in his home country, chose Chicago as their starting point. There, he took a job washing dishes at a restaurant while Martha helped out and prepared for the arrival of their first child.
A few years later, they moved to Springs and quickly immersed themselves in the butcher trade around the South Fork, working hard to build a reputation for quality. Pedro and Martha, together with a third partner, rented the butcher space at the old Hampton Market Place on Race Lane in East Hampton (which is today the thriving East Hampton Market). A fire devastated that neighborhood market in 2011, and as the Pinedas scouted around for a new location, the Red Horse, which was in flux at the time, caught their eye.
Initially, they had hoped to take over operation of it outright: “One day, my husband and I saw a ‘For Rent’ sign on a large building in East Hampton. . . . But when we checked the price he said that was out of reach,” Martha says. Still, the Pinedas didn’t give up. They got involved with a trio of local business partners who revived Red Horse in 2012, and moved their butcher business inside.
The shop had first been opened back in the 1990s by a trio of prominent businessmen — Ben Krupinski, Jerry Della Femina, and David Silver — as Jerry and David’s Red Horse Market. (Longtime newspaper readers will remember Pumpkingate, the kerfuffle — and lawsuit — that erupted when Jerry and David put out a display of hay bales and pumpkins and were accused by the village of having illegal “signage.” Readers with even longer memories will recall how the shopping complex got its name: from the rearing statue of a stallion, painted bright red, that also set off alarm bells for village code enforcers.) There was an interval during which the property was run as an Italian-specialty store some 20 years ago, but by the 2012 reopening, it had turned more or less into the Red Horse Market as it’s seen today.
Over time, the three initial investors of 2012 fell away, paving the way for Pedro and Martha to gradually begin buying it themselves. Persistence paid off and it’s now theirs.
As the store grew, so did the Pineda family. Their children — Christian, Anthony, and Katherine — were raised in the shop and now help lead it.
“My parents are our inspiration. Each of us has an important role,” says Anthony. Pedro leads alongside Martha, who manages suppliers and ensures quality. Christian oversees administration, Katherine leads customer service, and Anthony manages floor operations.
“In summer, we start as early as 4 a.m. and often work until 9 or 10 at night,” says Martha. “We’re also proud to provide jobs for more than 40 employees.”
For the Pinedas, family is how they run Red Horse: “Everyone here is family to us,” says Katherine. One of the longest-standing staff members is Joe Genna, the chef who’s been with them since the beginning. The team calls him “Uncle Joe.”
“I met Martha and Pedro about 25 years ago at the Hampton Market Place,” Genna says. “Back then, I never imagined they’d become my bosses. It really feels like the American dream. There’s something about being with a family-run place that just makes you want to show up every day.”
Genna helped build out the entire kitchen, from the menu to food pricing, and doesn’t hesitate to share what makes Red Horse special. “It’s good, honest home cooking. Some dishes are upscale, but it’s really comfort food made from scratch. Our chicken pot pie, for example, is a best-seller: roasted chicken, peas, carrots, spices, and a buttery, flaky crust,” Genna says. “No shortcuts.”
The kitchen at Red Horse Market is tucked upstairs on the second floor, where soups, baked goods, and hot entrées for the takeout-meal counter are prepared each day. “What’s wild is that some places use soup from a bag and just dress it up a little, but not us,” says Genna. “We’re lucky to have access to all the produce right here, so we make everything fresh.”
Meat and seafood are delivered two or three times a day. “We work with local farms and suppliers across the North Fork,” Anthony says. “Our customers really value that effort. Some even have us deliver out of state once summer ends. It motivates us to keep improving, trying new products while maintaining the highest standards.”
The Pinedas never forget where they came from or the work it took to get here. They’re proud to serve all kinds of customers, and the Red Horse has become an interesting microcosm of the East End society melting pot, where neighbor weekenders in Gucci loafers mix and mingle with workmen on their lunch breaks.
“We don’t just serve wealthy customers on vacation,” Christian says. “We have a lot of tradespeople — carpenters, landscapers, year-round workers. There are price points for everyone. They’re especially happy when they can get a delicious, filling plate for $18.”
This month, the Red Horse Market will open a second location on North Sea Road in Southampton. The team is finalizing details and training new staff. “It’s a big challenge,” says Christian. “But the welcome we’re receiving from the community is amazing.”
Pedro adds, “This dream has required huge sacrifice for years, 13 to 16 hours of work every day. But we do it for our family, so our kids can have a better future.”
Martha agrees: “We’ve always told our family that nothing is impossible. You just have to work hard, persevere, and be kind.”
