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Dairy Barn

Former Dairy Barn in New Hyde Park

Dairy Barn was a chain of regional convenience stores located on Long Island, New York, with headquarters in Elwood, New York. The stores were distinguished by their two canopied drive-through sections, a red barn appearance, and a little red silo.[1]

The peak number of operating Dairy Barn stores was approximately 70.[2][3] Some original Dairy Barn locations remain open as retail establishments retaining the red barn theme.[4]

History

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In 1939 Edgar Cosman, a Swiss textile manufacturer with business interests in the United States, purchased the Oak Tree Dairy Farm in Elwood on Long Island. His son, Dieter Cosman, was tasked with running it.[5] Under Cosman, the dairy's finances improved. During the 1950s, it stopped housing cows and began processing milk from upstate New York.[6] The dairy, by this point the only one on Long Island, was destroyed in a 1997 fire and rebuilt the following.[7]

In 1961, Cosman expanded the dairy's wholesale milk business into a chain of retail, drive-through convenience stores named Dairy Barn.[5][8] By 1972, there were 54 stores generating $20 million per year.[9] By 2005, there were 51 stores.[10]

In 2009, 38 of the remaining 45 Dairy Barn properties were sold to Long Island City-based Simi Enterprises.[9] The locations were rebranded as simply The Barn.[11][12][13] The Cosman family closed the farm and sold the land to developers in 2012.[14][15][16][17] The remaining Dairy Barn stores were closed or converted.[18] By April 2012, there were still 19 Dairy Barn locations and 25 The Barn stores.[19][20] The Barn had 22 locations in 2020[21] and saw success during the COVID-19 pandemic.[22][23]

In 2021, 28 stores were leased to Greek From Greece. This agreement ended the following year. By 2022, The Barn had one location in Huntington and one in St. James.[4] By 2023, multiple independent operators were running former Dairy Barn locations under The Barn and other new names.[9][24][25][26] In 2024, 10 locations were sold to Ready Coffee.[3][27][28]

References

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  1. ^ Cohen, Lon (2023-12-09). "Crazy Facts About Dairy Barn". Long Island Restaurants. LongIslandRestaurants.com. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  2. ^ Licata, Paula Ganzi (2005-04-03). "WHERE WE LIVE; One-Stop Shopping, Right in the Car". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
  3. ^ a b Winzelberg, David (2024-09-03). "Coffee chain buys former Dairy Barn stores in major LI expansion". Long Island Business News. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  4. ^ a b Scheidlower, Noah (2022-02-09). "The Barn and Other Drive-Through Grocery Stores of Long Island". Untapped New York. Untapped Cities LLC. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  5. ^ a b Bonar, Samantha B. (2015-08-12). "The Life Aquatic". Occidental Magazine. Occidental College. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
  6. ^ "Island's Only Dairy Rises From Fire's Ashes". The New York Times. 1998-10-25. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  7. ^ "Island's Only Dairy Rises From Fire's Ashes". The New York Times. 1998-10-25. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  8. ^ "ABOUT US". The Barn. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  9. ^ a b c Parrish, Tory N. (2025-02-14). "5 former Dairy Barns will open as Ready Coffee shops by end of summer". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  10. ^ Licata, Paula Ganzi (2005-04-03). "WHERE WE LIVE; One-Stop Shopping, Right in the Car". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  11. ^ Sloat, Jennifer (2012-03-05). "Drive-Thru Convenience Store, Dairy Barn, Now The Barn". Kings Park, NY Patch. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  12. ^ Winzelberg, David (2023-03-03). "Entrepreneurs eye brand refresh, as former Dairy Barn properties hit the market". Long Island Business News. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  13. ^ Martinez, Marie Elena (2025-06-19). "The Barn opens in Huntington village". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  14. ^ Morris, Deborah S. (2012-04-19). "Oak Tree Dairy may be converted to condos". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  15. ^ Bush, Leah (2012-12-19). "Oak Tree Dairy: Elwood Has Two Options". Northport, NY Patch. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  16. ^ Winzelberg, David (2013-02-08). "Neighbors oppose Oak Tree Dairy redevelopment". Long Island Business News. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  17. ^ Morris, Deborah S. (2014-09-25). "Residents sue to block planned senior development in East Northport". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  18. ^ "The Uncertain Fate of Farmland". The New York Times. 2012-04-19. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  19. ^ Sweet, Jacqueline (2012-04-07). "The Barn Comes to Town". Babylon Village, NY Patch. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  20. ^ Conry, Tara (2012-10-21). "Lynbrook Dairy Barn Closing, Changing Ownership". Malverne-Lynbrook, NY Patch. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  21. ^ "HOURS & LOCATIONS". The Barn. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  22. ^ Winzelberg, David (2024-09-03). "Coffee chain buys former Dairy Barn stores in major LI expansion". Long Island Business News. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  23. ^ Scheidlower, Noah (2022-02-09). "The Barn and Other Drive-Through Grocery Stores of Long Island". Untapped New York. Untapped Cities LLC. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  24. ^ Winzelberg, David (2023-03-03). "Entrepreneurs eye brand refresh, as former Dairy Barn properties hit the market". Long Island Business News. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  25. ^ Sweet, Jacqueline (2021-11-15). "Nassau Dairy Barn To Become An Independent Drive-Thru Coffee Shop". Bellmore, NY Patch. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  26. ^ Vaglica, Joann (2022-02-14). "Buzz'd Express Coffee opens in North Bellmore". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  27. ^ Ocasio, Victor (2024-09-06). "Ready Coffee buys 10 former Dairy Barn locations to open drive-thrus on Long Island". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  28. ^ Marcus, Erica (2024-12-16). "Ready Coffee takes over Baldwin Dairy Barn". Newsday. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
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