East Setauket Ace Hardware Owners Open Up New Shop

Many things, they say, come in threes. And for East Setauket residents, and Ace Hardware owners Steve and Astrid Caropelo, last week marked a special third for them.

The couple, which opened up the East Setauket Ace about 13 years ago and another in Wading River seven years back, celebrated the soft opening of another Ace Hardware in Port Jefferson Station in the Uncle Giuseppe's shopping center on Route 112.

Though Caropelo said he was hoping to have opened doors earlier – and despite the fact that the past few years have been some of the harder ones at his existing locations – Caropelo said he is excited about the location.

"We like the fact that it's centrally located," he said. "It's not jammed up with traffic usually. I've always liked Port Jefferson, and I think there's a need here."

Ace joins Sears and the local D Lilly & Co as hardware options available around Port Jefferson.

The shop measures about 7,500 square feet in the front of the store, and beside the typical hardware merchandise such as lawn fertilizers, paint, tools ladders and more, the store is also a Yankee Candle merchandiser and features other home goods such as yarns, sewing equipment and school supplies.

"We try to bring in whatever people ask for," Caropelo said.

He said the store is expected to employ between 15 and 20 people.