“This is your store. We built it for you.”
That’s what owner Fran “Pedro” Pineda said just after the red ribbon was cut and he started ushering people into Southampton’s newly opened Red Horse Market on the morning of Nov. 15.
Dozens of spectators gathered at the 120 North Sea Road location, joining the ready-to-serve staff, including Pineda’s wife and co-owner Martha, their sons and store managers Christian and Anthony, daughter Katherine, and executive chef Joe Genna. The ribbon cutting ceremony also included a guest appearance by Southampton Village mayor Bill Manger to help welcome in the gourment store’s second Hamptons location (their flagship store, located at 74 Montauk Highway in East Hampton, has been a Hamptons staple for well over a decade).
Red Horse Market blends fresh produce, gourmet grocery items, expert butchers and classic delicatessen staples all under one roof. (Photos by Emily Toy)
As guests enjoyed myriad finger foods and sipped Champagne, employees buzzed around the newly outfitted store assisting shoppers excitedly navigating through the more-than-amply stocked shelves and display cases running throughout the 6,000-square-foot space.
In a hat tip to the gourmet grocer’s predecessor, Schmidt’s Market, which was housed in the same space for decades, fresh produce and cut flowers will be available toward the front of the store, displayed on custom-made tables and carts designed by Lumber + Salt in Jamesport. Just beyond, on the left, is a wall of refrigeration, holding myriad beverages and grab-and-go goodies in the front, with a large butcher station and frozen items section located toward the back.
A salad bar sits in the center of the space along with a couple large tables and rows of shelving units containing baked goods, jarred sauces, pasta, crackers, olive oil, condiments and oodles of other grocery staples. On the right is a coffee bar with a pastry display case in the front, self-serve drip coffee and a barista-helmed espresso machine towards the back. A large deli station sits in the back right of the store, complete with hot food items as well as delicatessen staples.
“This new space was thoughtfully created to bring together everything that defines the Red Horse experience: the warmth of a neighborhood market, the craftsmanship of fine food, and the familiar faces you’ve come to know from East Hampton,” says Christian Pineda, who will be one of the managers of the Southampton location. “From butcher’s selections, fresh seafood, curated local ingredients to chef-prepared meals and specialty coffee, every detail was chosen to make Red Horse Market a gathering place for Southampton.”
