Water Lilies Food Inc. will take over part of the old Entenmann’s Bakery space in Bay Shore, according to a statement from the property owner.
The building comprises 519,490 square feet, and had been operated as a bakery from 1961 until 2014. The property is now owned by Suffolk County Industrial, LLC, which bought it last year from Bimbo Bakeries USA, the parent company of Entenmann’s.
Water Lilies produces and distributes Asian frozen foods such as dumplings, egg rolls, and pot stickers. Once it opens in its new space, the company is likely to bring anywhere from 160 to 175 jobs with it.
Water Lilies is not the only concern moving into the huge building. Best Market, a local chain of supermarkets, is consolidating its Bethpage headquarters and Farmingdale distribution center into one operation, and moving them to the Entenmann’s location. Best Market will take over 200,000 square feet where it will locate its headquarters, a storefront, and its distribution center. It plans to use 95,000 square feet as an incubator for food businesses that are just starting up.
Mark Fischl, who is with Suffolk County Industrial, said the Islip Industrial Development Agency was a great help in turning the Entenmann’s factory into a facility that now houses multiple food businesses.
Operators of projects like this could work with a newsletter printing company to create an informative letter for residents, who could be potential employees of the companies relocating.
