Justin’s Chop Shop (71 Sunset Ave., Westhampton Beach, 631-288-5532) is not even close to your average food market. It’s a wonderland of prime meat, fresh fish, stellar sandwiches, excellent grab-and-go prepared foods and a bevy of bespoke products to up the ante of your pantry.
Setting the friendly tone behind it all is its namesake owner and man of a million baseball hats: Justin DeMarco.
If you live in fear, as we do, that the craft of butchering and the vibe of your friendly neighborhood independently owned market are on the endangered species list, DeMarco’s shop will soothe and sate you. In January 2023, he moved from his original smaller store on Mill Road to a 3,000-square-foot former bank, the irony of which is not lost on the young butcher. DeMarco started out his adult life thinking he was going into finance, taking what he thought was a temporary job in a butcher shop after getting laid off during the financial crisis of 2008. It turned out to be his life’s work.
Thanks in part, he says, go to his Uncle Eugene, who nudged the fledgling butcher to make the leap from employee to business owner. “He said, ‘Justin, everyone’s got to eat. Forget about going to school for finance –– do the butcher shop!’” He’s never looked back (not a bad practice, as sharp knives require his undivided attention).
“Food is important to people and feeds them in good and bad times,” says DeMarco. “It can be a very interesting thing –– it’s the way you show your loved ones you care.”
Here are a few of DeMarco’s favorite things:
Favorite hobby I live and breathe anything with four wheels. I’m a huge car guy. My Uncle Eugene raced his whole life. Twelve years ago, when I decided to open the store, Uncle Eugene was going to race and that was the first one I would drive, too — an endurance race that was 24 hours. I drove on a team with four to five other drivers. I was the second fastest on the team. [My uncle] was over the moon that his nephew could drive.
Favorite car event Two years ago, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (76 Main St., Westhampton Beach, 631-288-1500) did a car show, and I did the food in the VIP section. It was on the great lawn, and Rubio Premier Motors (69 Montauk Highway, 631-288-0890), who sell all high-end cars, asked me to be involved. God bless Kristen [Poulakis] and Julienne [Penza-Boone] because it was a huge undertaking and such a great event. They want to make it bigger and better this year. There was everything from classic Corvettes to a lot of European cars. Me? I’m a Porsche guy!

Favorite cheese shop I was not a cheese person. The only ones on my radar were American and cheddar. I knew I had to grow my palate because of my customers. When my first shop was on Mill Road and Carlos [Gonzalez] of Mill Road Cheese (216 Mill Road, Westhampton Beach, 631-998-0483) moved next door, he exposed me to cheese. Carlos is a huge car guy, too, and we’ve become good friends and done track days together. I sell cheese, but when people ask me for a mean cheese platter, I say Carlos is the guy! I believe what you put out, you get back.
Favorite place to eat out You’re going to laugh, but my wife and I eat fish, salad and pasta! I’m blessed to be able to eat the best [meat] I’ve got in my store, but when I go out to eat, it’s usually pasta, shrimp or sushi. In the store, all my fish at the store comes from Braun’s (30840 Main Road, Cutchogue, 631-734-5550). If I do go to a fish purveyor near me, it’s Dennis [Donovan] of Atlantic Seafood (117 Montauk Highway, Center Moriches, 631-878-8406) for a bucket of clams.
Favorite breakfast sandwich
So, on the rare occasion I’m getting an egg sandwich, it’s at Bun & Burger (218 Mill Road, Westhampton Beach, 631-288-9784) because I’m going there to meet a mentor of mine –– and I go there to get yelled at. He’s a 75-year-old, tried-and-true Italian guy named Charles and he sits in the middle of the restaurant and reprimands me for what I’m doing wrong. It all comes from a wonderful place. And I say thank you, Charles, for yelling at me — and the egg sandwich is on you.
Favorite pet shop
We have two dogs. We love Pawcasso Art Studio and Pet Boutique (3 Sunset Ave., Westhampton Beach, 631-887-6705). We bring our kids, and they can sit and paint animal-themed paintings. They also make amazing dog treats and they use our chicken and chop meat for them. We would get them even before they started using our product. Dogs love them; they’re like beef jerky but crispy.
Favorite thing about living and working in Westhampton Beach
This is corny, but my wife is a teacher in the Westhampton Beach school district. We bought our home here because we knew we would stay here forever, which as we know is not the easiest thing to pull off. But every time I drive to my store and cross these two bridges, I can look to the left or right and see the inlet and Dune Road when the sun is setting, or early in the morning, and it’s just beautiful. And I love that I know all the customers and their kids and their dogs and the police officers. I love this town and just being able to feed people.