Saltwater Long Island opens third location in Greenport
Father-son duo Buddy (R) and Joe DeMarco (L), of Massapequa, opened Saltwater Long Island in Greenport. The shop sells beachy attire and Long Island-themed apparel. Credit: Veronica Del Gatto
For father-son duo Buddy, 61, and Joe DeMarco, 28, of Massapequa, running a business together has been smooth sailing.
Saltwater Long Island has opened its third location this spring in Greenport, a spot that Buddy would frequent as a child. Other locations can be found within Huntington Station’s Walt Whitman Shops and in Westhampton Beach.
When a corner spot on Front and Main Street became available earlier this year, Joe says, “We saw an amazing opportunity in this nautical community that pairs well with our brand. The location of Greenport being a traditional whaling, boating, fishing and many-other-water-activities area made it even more special to us.”
Additionally, Greenport brings in customers from New England given its coastal location and proximity to the Cross Sound Ferry in Orient (service operating between New London, Connecticut and Orient). “I can't tell you how many people come to Greenport before they depart for a New England trip or even come over for a day trip and stumble upon us,” says Joe. “It has really been helping us expose our brand further than we could ever imagine.”
He adds that Saltwater Long Island has been compared to brands like Vineyard Vines and johnnie-O, “so we feel that our Long Island family business will become the next big coastal luxury brand that gives people around the world the feeling that ‘whenever you wear Saltwater, you’re home.’”
For the past two years, Joe and his father attended the Greenport Maritime Festival as vendors, dreaming of the chance to open their own store in the coastal village. “We love and appreciate that this town has huge support from the local community and the travel traffic that comes all spring, summer and fall. We just fell in love with the North Fork’s beauty as well,” says Joe.
The duo is also the team behind the construction of the new Greenport store. They hand-built all of the fixtures in the shop from scratch, using mahogany purchased from Riverhead Building Supply. These particular fixtures are not purchasable online or in stores; they are custom-built one-of-a-kind cabinetry. “They really showcase our products while being space efficient at the same time and give the store a great flow as you walk through,” notes Joe.
Saltwater Long Island prides itself on selling original items designed entirely by the DeMarcos. “As I like to say, from soup to nuts. We design and develop every stitch, every design, every sketch, and even the fabric selection — I mean everything,” says Joe.
Prices range from $19.99 to $159.99, and customers receive a free hat with a purchase of two items. Pieces include short-sleeve crew necks, long-sleeve crew necks, lightweight hoodies, polos, water-resistant beach-to-boat shorts and soft fleece hoodies.
123 Main St., saltwaterlongisland.com, 631-477-6555
