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Bits and pieces: Local business updates

Business

by Joanne Kountourakis | Fri, Mar 17 2023

According to a building permit on the door, physical training studio F45 is taking up residence in one third of the building formerly occupied by Southdown Marketplace.

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Businesses are opening, with many vacancies in and around Northport and East Northport now home to new ventures. Here’s a rundown of the latest business updates in our area.

Functional training at F45
After a long vacancy, at least one-third of the former Southdown Marketplace building will soon be occupied by F45, a functional “fitness community specializing in innovative, high-intensity group workouts that are fast, fun, and results-driven.” The Northport training studio will be one of approximately 20 other current or upcoming F45 locations on the island. According to a building permit on the door, the 7,974-square-foot space will include training areas, a track, as well as men and women’s rooms with bathrooms and showers.

A property brochure from real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield shows another portion of the property is out to lease, though the new tenants have yet to be announced.

New nail salon next to Batata Cafe
Sources tell the Journal that the space formerly occupied by Batata Cafe, before the popular eatery downsized into a shared space with Macadoo’s Grille, will be converted into a nail salon. Work on the space has begun, though an estimated time of opening is not known.

Work on a nail salon in the space next to Macadoo's Grille and Batata Cafe is now underway.

Mid-April opening for Starbucks
Construction on a Starbucks at 687 Fort Salonga Road is in progress, with an expected opening in mid-April, according to Northport Village Administrator Roland Buzard. The new location, on the corner that meets Laurel Avenue in the highway business district of Northport Village, will include a drive-thru and outdoor seating.

A new Starbucks with drive-thru is slated to open in mid-April.

Pupusas, please
La Sunamita – a deli and grocery specializing in pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador – recently took over the old Buttercrust Bakery location at 36 Laurel Road in East Northport. The deli, named after the biblical Shunammite woman known for her generosity and righteousness, serves breakfast, large dishes and dessert with menu items including tamales, plantains, nachos, tacos, yuca with pork rinds, grilled shrimp salad and on the day we visited, oxtail.

La Sunamita, a new deli and grocery on Larkfield Road, has people excited for pupusas.

Talk of the town
Snowball Cafe, a bubble tea shop serving ramen, hibachi, rice bowls, snacks and desserts, has been making the rounds on social media since opening earlier this year. The “little gem,” located at 353 Larkfield Road in East Northport (where Red Ginger used to be), serves fruit teas and sweet (think Oreo) and fruit bobas, as well as Japanese and Taiwanese cuisine.

Image of bobas from Snowball Cafe via Facebook.

A boutique for “bad-ass babes”
Fame + Rebel, a women’s clothing store, opened its doors at 162 Main Street in Northport earlier this week, in the space formerly occupied by The Firefly Artists. With locations in Port Jefferson and Patchogue, Northport will be the third “village” shop in Fame + Rebel’s portfolio. “The name is who we are and what we strive to be,” reads the boutique website. “It's about doing the opposite of what you were taught, not caring for the opinions of others and doing the things that scare you on a regular basis.” Fame + Rebel carries an array of styles from rocker chic to beachy boho.

Northport Village is the third island location for Fame + Rebel.

Overheard and unconfirmed
Despite our best efforts, the Northport Journal has not been able to confirm what’s brewing at the old Dunkin’ Donuts location on Fort Salonga Road just east of Laurel Road. Talk on local social media pages is active, with rumors of new tenants ranging from a Taco Bell or Five Guys to Wings ’n Things and Chic-fil-A. The listing agent did confirm with the Journal that the building has sold twice in the last 12 months. Unfortunately, he couldn’t disclose the new tenant at press time, but hopes to soon.

Locals are waiting patiently to see what’s in store for the old Dunkin’ Donuts on Fort Salonga Road.

This just in…
The storefront at 42 Woodbine Avenue in Northport Village, where Auntie Moe’s Frozen Custard just closed its doors for good, is up for lease.

A sign in Auntie Moe’s shows the space is up for lease.

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