Jessica Dussan and Leo Torres have gotten used to cleansing up after disasters.
The husband and spouse crew, who’ve owned and operated the Bohemia-based environmental restoration firm Inexperienced Island Group for the previous decade, have restored all kinds of broken business and residential properties.
Eradicating hazards reminiscent of asbestos and mould, in addition to lead abatement, have been Inexperienced Island’s focus because it focuses on restoration and emergency response.
However in current weeks, the entrepreneurial couple have been laborious at work restoring a neighborhood grocery retailer, which has turn out to be their newest enterprise enterprise.
Dussan and Torres are the brand new homeowners of the Honest Commerce Market, a 24,000-square-foot meals market on Connetquot Avenue in Islip Terrace.
The pair could possibly be referred to as “unintended retailers” as they have been researching places for one more enterprise after they realized that the Islip Terrace market was up on the market.
Dussan and Torres, quickly to use for a retail license in New York’s fledgling hashish business, had been in search of properties within the cities of Babylon and Brookhaven to find their deliberate dispensary, after they stumbled upon the grocery retailer’s itemizing. .
“I used to be in search of places for that, after which we discovered this,” says Torres. “So we thought since licensing was going to take some time, why not have a enterprise that generates some earnings within the meantime?”
FAIR TRADE MARKET: With new homeowners on the helm, the 24,000-square-foot grocery retailer is getting a makeover. / Picture by David Winzelberg
Till now, turning into profitable merchants has required a number of inexperienced. The couple has already invested about $1 million within the buy and renovation of the place.
“He had a number of issues,” Torres mentioned. “The product was not recent, there have been many expired gadgets and the costs weren’t in line. We felt we may do a greater job.”
Honest Commerce enhancements embrace a revamped produce space, repairs and upgrades to its refrigeration and HVAC programs, new plantings out entrance, and a brand new recent seafood division.
“We opened a sushi part with a sushi chef on the premises,” Dussan mentioned. “We’re additionally planning to create a juice bar with subtle tools.”
Moreover, the brand new Honest Commerce homeowners will quickly introduce a brand new bakery division with on-site baking and create a “traditional butcher store” that can remedy its personal meat and supply dry-cured steaks.
The meat division of the market is a favourite of Torres, who grew up round his mother and father’ small meat market in his native Guayaquil, Ecuador. Dussan, who was born in Queens and spent 5 years in Columbia as a baby, started her profession cleansing flooring in midtown Manhattan through the cleanup after the 9/11 assault on the World Commerce Heart.
In 2012, Dussan and Torres began Inexperienced Island Group from their storage. In 2019, Dussan was named Entrepreneur of the 12 months by the New York State Entrepreneur Help Facilities for her function main the environmental response and restoration firm MWBE.
In navigating their new grocery enterprise, the couple have taken a really private strategy.
“Final week, a consumer was on the point of name a taxi to go residence along with his purchases and Leo jumped out and took him residence in his automotive,” Dussan mentioned.
His no-nonsense technique and work ethic hasn’t been misplaced on native followers.
“Braveness and dedication are what Jessica and Leo deliver to the desk and judging by the enhancements they’ve already made, in addition to the distinctive costs, Honest Commerce will present an amazing grocery different for our group,” mentioned the Suffolk County legislator. Steve Flotteron. .
Honest Commerce has turn out to be much more important to the neighborhood not too long ago, following the current closure of the Cease & Store grocery store in close by Iceland simply two months in the past.
In the meantime, the unintended sellers proceed to develop their new enterprise and observe the lead of the Honest Commerce consumers.
“It is a group grocery store,” says Dussan. “We’re speaking and interacting with our clients every single day to seek out out what they want. We’re listening.
