King Kullen

King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. is an American supermarket chain with 35 stores, on Long Island. The company is headquartered in Bethpage, New York and was founded by Michael J. Cullen on August 4, 1930. It is notable for its title of "America's First Supermarket" as recognized by the Smithsonian Institution.

History

King Kullen was founded by Michael J. Cullen, a then-Kroger employee who devised the concept of the modern supermarket. Cullen attempted to make his concept public when he wrote to Kroger president Bernard Kroger, proposing a new type of food store with a focus on low prices, cash sales, and without delivery service, in larger stores (at low rents) with ample parking.

In his proposal, Cullen suggested that this new type of store could achieve 10 times the volume and profits of the average Kroger or A&P. After Cullen's letter went unanswered, he quit his job and moved his family to Long Island, where he launched his concept. Cullen leased a vacant garage at 171st Street and Jamaica Avenue in Queens, near a busy shopping district. The store, dubbed "King Kullen", opened on August 4, 1930. After an over 80 year presence in New York City, King Kullen left that market in 2011 with the closing of its 3 remaining New York City stores in Eltingville, Graniteville, and Greenridge in Staten Island.