After decades as a Main Street staple, Herb’s Market in Montauk will be closing its doors for good at the end of September.
In a social media post that received thousands of views and hundreds of comments, the owners, Joe Ferraro and his parents, Carl and Diane Ferraro, said, “after so many years of being a part of the Montauk community, our time is coming to an end at the end of September.”
They also announced they will be selling all their equipment and fixtures before they close their doors.
The announcement brought an outpouring of nostalgic comments about the way Montauk used to be. The fried chicken, sandwiches, and coleslaw were all remembered fondly.
Others remembered Herb’s iconic T-shirts, which read, “You can’t beat Herb’s meat.”
Harold (Herb) Herbert opened Herb’s Market in 1963. It was a grocery store, deli, and butcher shop, and became an unofficial social center of Montauk — a place where both locals and visitors could gather, catch up with one another, share stories, and always feel welcome, Mr. Herbert’s family remembered in an obituary that ran in The Star last month.
Mr. Herbert died on Aug. 9.
“It was like a mini post office,” Jack Perna, the retired Montauk School superintendent, said this week. “People were always there.”
“There were always a few firemen standing outside chatting with Herb,” Mr. Perna said. He himself lived across the street in an apartment above White’s Liquor Store and would stop into Herb’s regularly.
“Herb’s Market was more than a market — it was one of those increasingly rare places where a community still came before profit,” said Dave Watson, an online commenter.
On Instagram, Gail Herbert, Mr. Herbert’s daughter, thanked people for sharing their memories. She could not be reached by phone for additional comment.
Recalling years past, Mr. Perna said Herb’s Market was one of the pioneers of the school’s lunch program. Along with the former Dee-Licious Bagels, Herb’s would take students’ orders and deliver bagged lunches 15 minutes before lunchtime.
Since then, many other local business have taken up the task, like M&R Deli and Naturally Good.
Mr. Herbert sold the business to Gillian Mooney and Lucille Lenahan — a longtime employee — in the early 2000s. Ms. Mooney, who learned how to cut meat from Mr. Herbert, passed the skill along to Mr. Ferraro during his time shadowing the former owners before taking the reins in 2012.
In 2013 Joe Ferraro told The Star he had spent summers in Montauk for many years and worked in finance for a decade before buying the market.
While the Ferraros could not be reached this week, Carl Ferraro was in the store over the weekend. Sunday morning was quiet, with some customers chatting with him in front of the store. Many of the shelves were already bare and limited stock was available in the grab-and-go refrigerators.
What’s next for the Main Street property remains to be seen. The market did not appear to be listed for sale as of press time.
“Whatever replaces Herb’s may be newer and more profitable, but it will be hard to replace what Herb’s Market meant to the people who called Montauk home,” Mr. Watson said.