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Popsicle & Finn, which opened in Greenport in 2021, is relocating to Cutchogue and will be part of the North Fork Apothecary. (Credit: Felicia LaLomia).

Walking into the new Popsicle and Finn in downtown Greenport feels more like entering an über organized and comfortable closet than a retail store. Basics, like plain t-shirts and denim, line the walls on perfectly-spaced wooden hangers. The center table has folded sweaters and candles on a muted rug. The back corner is the mens section while the clear shelves to the right have skincare. Baskets of flip flops and shelves of curated photos, books and socks bring in a homey, down to earth feel. This was exactly what sisters and owners Elyse Merrifield and Stephanie Segrete Sack were going for when opening up the store almost a month ago. 

“I would say California meets North Fork,” Segrete Sack said. “It’s a casual vibe, but it has some elevated and beachy details.”

Most of their t-shirts have some sort of feminine detail like ruching or shoulder pads, so it’s a little more elevated but can be worn as a basic, Merrifield said. 

The sisters were raised in Nassau County, but their family has had a home in Cutchogue since the 1980s. Now, they are both full-time North Forkers. 

“This idea has been a few years in the making,” said Segrete Sack, whose background is in marketing and events. “We always knew we wanted to have a store. Then one day we were doing a drive by, and this place was available.” They wanted something that would be for both the local, who could shop for everyday wear, and the weekender or tourist, who might be looking for something different. 

“We wanted to be able to have other things so that if you forgot something when traveling, you could come in here,” said Merrifield, who previously worked for Sephora as a visual merchandiser. 

“[Our customers] are locals, visitors, daytrippers, weekenders,” Segrete Sack continued. “We’re in an upscale luxury and necessities. We have everything from lingerie to soaps to gifts to skincare and cosmetics.” There’s even something a bit rare for North Fork small retail stores — a full men’s section, complete with clothes and toiletries.

Merrifield and Segrete Sack both want their store to reflect the community. “We’re active in the community. We’ve been out here for a long time,” Segrete Sack said. “You have to take care of your hometown, in addition to making sure that everything you’re doing comes from a place that you can feel okay about at night.” 

For them, that means only using suppliers who have some sort of sustainable or giveback business model, offering local drop-offs to customers and having their store reflect Greenport. They even have their own line of candles with scents that remind them of the area (think Sunset Bonfire at Kenney’s Beach, Sunrise on Nassau Point and Morning Walk in the Vine). The name of the store, Popsicle and Finn, comes from their two rescue cats, but is also a reminder of growing up in Greenport.

“Those two words together actually reminded me of Greenport,”  Segrete Sack said. “Because every time you came here, you had like some sort of fish and you’d have an ice cream.”

Popsicle and Finn is open Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

15 Front Street, #1, Greenport, 631-477-6086

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