After the absence of a supermarket in Manhasset for two years, King Kullen opened a major store at the Manhasset Center, Shelter Rock Road and Northern Boulevard on Friday, Jan. 30. Town of North Hempstead leaders attended the opening, along with local business people, civic leaders and other invited guests. They were greeted by a magnificent floral display of potted flowering plants such as azaleas, cyclamen and tulips massed at the entrance. Also showing off the new store's delicatessen department was a buffet table of hot and cold appetizers. For those who were able to tear themselves away from this warm welcome, there were tours of the store and store directories. The latter will certainly be needed for first-time shoppers because the store is large and the selection almost endless, alphabetically running from "aluminum foil" to "waxes." Valet parking was offered to the guests and valet parking will be a feature of the store's amenities. It will cost $3 and for that the shopper can give her/his car to an attendant, the $3 will be added to the bill when the shopper checks out and the attendant will return with the car. The new store is certainly spectacular and will take more than one visit to enable the shopper to familiarize her/himself with it. From deli department to bakery to meat and seafood and including fresh produce, the shopper is tempted by high quality food in almost endless varieties.

The opening of the store marks the end of a saga almost as long as The Forsyte Saga. In September of 1998, Manhasset Ventures, LLC, approached North Hempstead asking for variances to enable them to build a supermarket at the Manhasset Center location. Since that time there has been extensive litigation as some residents of Manhasset, chiefly those in Terrace Manor which is located to the west of the Manhasset Center, sought to prevent its construction. In April 2000 the North Hempstead Town Board granted Manhasset Ventures the requested rezoning of the property, enabling the building to be built at the southern portion of the site. Over the course of the litigation, the King Kullen people redesigned their original proposal in an effort to deal with residents' concerns. They reduced the size of the proposed building from its original 40,000 square feet; they agreed to keep the store open from 7 a.m. to midnight, rather than 24 hours a day; and they agreed not to offer dry cleaning, video tape rentals, shoe repairs or a pharmacy. Nevertheless the lawsuits continued, challenging the town's change of zone. These were dismissed by the court, the most recent being in March, 2002. Although the dismissals were appealed, the store was built and the grand opening occurred on Jan. 30.