Cindysnacks, an all-vegan market in Huntington, opened Long Island’s first all-vegan deli on Aug. 10 in Centerport. It’s now 10 minutes away from its original location, serving new customers and familiar faces from across the region.
As the doors opened that first Saturday morning, people flooded in to get their hands on vegan snacks and to grab a taste of the new hot deli sandwiches. With choices such as the McCindy (maple griddle sandwich) and the big ragu (‘chicken’ cutlet on a hero), it’s no wonder that Cindysnacks sold out of all hot meals hours before closing on opening day. The all-vegan deli is sure to join the ranks of iconic diet-sensitive eateries on Long Island.
However, people still lined up outside the door just to grab hold of one of the various food options in the market’s fridges, many of which are hard to find in many local grocery stores. After a huge success on opening day, the following Sunday opening was delayed to prepare the staff for the next round of customers seeking the flavors they’ve seen all over social media.
“Helping people go vegan and watching it happen, and being a part of their journey and providing a safe place to buy snacks was just a delight for us,” said John Stengel, who co-owns and operates the deli with his partner Indiana “Cindy” Kay.
Cindysnacks Deli also serves gluten-free options for all its sandwiches and announced several specials, including pumpkin spice lattes with pink heart-shaped straws and the bacon and bleu BLT (‘blue’ cheese BLT). Many vegans and nonvegans have stopped by to try these creations and return the next day for more.
Cindysnacks vegan meals are dished up in a welcoming atmosphere featuring bright pink lights and decor covering the shop with fun figures and welcoming pictures reminding customers that it’s a family-owned business. Stengel and Kay welcome fellow vegans and nonvegans to a safe space.
“We’re pretty public about our political views and our morals and beliefs,” Stengel said. “We truly try to give a place where anyone can come in and feel safe and comfortable. That’s super important to us.”
Opening for the first time in 2019, Cindysnacks Market allowed vegans (people who consume no meat, eggs, dairy, or food that comes from animals) to come and get the hard-to-find food items they craved.
“As time went on, we got more into providing a lot of vegan gluten-free stuff for the gluten-free crowd,” Stengel said. “There’s also the allergen community, for folks that aren’t vegan but have nut allergies or soy.”
Before the market and deli, Stengel and Kay found it quite difficult to shop for their vegan needs across the island, having to go to around 10 stores just to meet their needs. Stengel gives credit for the inspiration to Kay.
“When I met Cindy, I wasn’t vegan,” Stengel said. “Cindy got me going with vegan treats and delicious stuff. We would always joke around that they were called ‘Cindysnacks. I am so blessed to have her in my life.”
The influence did not end with the market or deli, but followed into Stengel’s own life choices of becoming vegan. He and Kay have two children, with a third on the way, whom they raise vegan together and they want to share that with the community.
“I like helping people that are vegan,” Stengel said. “I like trying to get people to go vegan. There’s a certain way to do it without being pushy and you do that through customer service and talking to people.”
Stengel sees big plans for the future of Cindysnacks as they settle in.
“I’m hoping at some point we get caught up on the work and can enjoy what’s going on and tap into the community a little bit more, do more events and be a little more out in the public,” Stengel said, adding that they aim to branch out. “The vegan community has been so supportive of us and have always had our backs. We greatly appreciate everyone and anyone that comes to our store. We’re gonna keep doing this and be the best we can be.”
Cindysnacks Deli is located at 90A Washington Dr. in Centerport. Follow them on Instagram @cindysnacks
