Bridgehampton - With construction nearing completion at the former Bridgehampton Country Market building on Route 27, Citarella gourmet market is going for the trifecta, rounding out their East Hampton and Water Mill locations with a third location in between. The location changed hands in 2007 and most recently became Bob's Village Market.

According to Citarella owner Joseph Guerra, there has been quite a bit of work done to the structure, which is set to open mid-May, including moving the entrance and the exit, strengthening rotted walls and updating both the exterior and interior of the structure. Photo by Colin M. Graham

According to Citarella owner Joseph Guerra, the work being done on the structure, which is still owned by the Lingwood family, has been fairly extensive: "We did quite a bit of work; everything is brand new, there is nothing that's decrepit any longer," said Guerra in a recent interview. "We changed the entrance, we changed the exit. We strengthened certain walls that were rotted, it was a mess. Everyone knew the place needed more than just a facelift, we had to do both the interior and the exterior; it was a total gut job."

Set to open for business sometime in mid-May, the new location will feature a salad bar, coffee station and hot lunch counter - features that Guerra plans on adding to the other two stores - but his original plans to have outdoor seating as offered at the East Hampton store, "aren't going to happen right now." Asked if adding outdoor seating to their Bridgehampton outpost, Guerra says "possibly, but it's not going to happen this year."

Before they settled on opening a new store in Bridgehampton, there was speculation that Citarella was considering other venues like Sag Harbor, something Guerra says was just that, pure speculation. "We were never looking at Sag Harbor; there are plenty of rumors all the time." As to the reasoning behind why Citarella chose Bridgehampton to expand to, Guerra explains simply, "Because the space became available."

In addition to the services already provided at the other Citarella locations, the Bridgehampton store will feature a salad bar, coffee station and hot lunch counter; all of which are going to eventually make their way into the existing East Hampton and Water Mill locations.

"Our Water Mill location has been a wonderful location and we're going to see what's going to happen and what's going to develop. To ask the question for you, am I going to close our store in Water Mill? Don't know. If the people are very receptive, and we're able to support both stores, we're going to keep both."

So far, the project has been well received by the community and despite the fact that some people are sad to see the old I.G.A. building undergo renovations that will change the structure's façade, the overall response to Citarella's expansion has been positive.

"The community welcomed us with open arms when we opened Water Mill and when we opened our store in East Hampton," Guerra recalled. Asked whether the planned Bridgehampton location has received similar support, Guerra doesn't miss a beat saying, "without a doubt."

"I know that the town is very receptive, everyone cannot wait for us to open and I'm quite excited about it also," Guerra relates. "People actually call us and tell us they can't wait for us to open. They even call the builder doing the job to find out when we're opening."

Despite the fact that some people are sad to see the old I.G.A. building undergo renovations that will change the structure's façade, the overall response to Citarella's expansion has been positive. Photo by Colin M. Graham

With the Bridgehampton store soon to be up and running, it would appear that Citarella is fast becoming a household name on the East End but Guerra is playing his cards close to his vest when it comes to other potential plans for expanding his brand. What might the future hold for Citarella here in the Hamptons? "You never know," Guerra says.