Cross Island Fruits — Attraction in Town of Hempstead

I go to this store weekly with my disabled uncle and have noticed the young girls working as cashiers have a very condescending energy. This is definitely not all of them but I"ll be blunt-- the young white girls carry themselves with a sense of entitlement.

They have felt comfortable speaking to my uncle like he is less than smart and can't do simple things. Instead of just guiding him if he doesn't know where to place the card for "Tap to Pay" or helping pack the bags, he will be stared at as if these girls are 9 and have never seen a disabled person before. These girls make the overall experience of shopping here less than satisfying because the most "fresh" thing on my mind when leaving is the experience with the cashiers. I never have these condescending encounters with the one black cashier or the POC helping us check out which makes the girls I'm referring to stick out like a very, very sore thumb.

I'm very particular when I go with him about which cashiers we choose based on their overall cadence. I wish I could say this only happened once but I'd be lying. I'm honestly sick of the gum-chewing, neck-rolling prima donnas. They need some sort of training for them on how to treat people who may seem 'different' as human beings. It's disgusting. Or they should have some sort of repercussions when the customers' experience has been unpleasant. This makes me question the managers and how they're choosing who works here.

This has simply been my experience shopping here. For me, choosing a place to shop doesn't just have to do with their products, it has to do with the character of the employees. My hope is that if these girls ever have a disabled child of their own that this world doesn't treat them the way they've chosen to treat or look at my uncle.

(On a lighter note, there is one cashier who works at one of the registers furthest from the front door, she has a loud voice that makes her stand out and always greets us with a smile. I've loved every encounter we've had with her. She's so helpful and has very humble energy about her. When I do return to Cross Island, I'll always look for her! I wish she was there every time we...

Until very recently I had enjoyed patronizing Cross Island Fruit. However, on an early morning in May (2020) I stood in a somewhat closed area at the fresh fish concession to make a purchase. A young employee of theirs past me several times (neither of us was able to distance more than 2 ft in the space). I reminded him that his mask, hanging around his neck, needed to be worn. There were 4 other employees present wearing masks. The young man continued to pass me without the mask...seemed like a taunt. I located the gentleman who I was told was the manager and he followed me back to the fish concession and noted the young man. He asked his employee to meet him in his office and within a few moments told me the employee was sent home. I thanked him but hoped that he would address the issue with all employees.

My next visit was worse. After observing a customer remove his mask and lift some cantaloupes up to his nose to smell for ripeness, I noted an employee stocking oranges with his mask around his neck! I asked for the manager and was directed toward the office. This new manager told me he cannot and will not supervise his customers on the floor and insisted the unmasked employee (who he could not see from his office) was just resting. A woman came out and said, ‘He’s the manager and the owner and he does what he wants.’ They both told me I should not be out shopping! Needless to say I left without my groceries! Today I’ve become aware that Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union President says you are wrong! You, little old you, are FULLY responsible to manage your customers and employees...

I normally don't have a negative thing to say about this place or the shops inside of this location. I honestly never give negative reviews. Today, a man wearing a confederate flag shirt was walking around casually shopping. I went to the manager to express how uncomfortable it made me feel. The cashier and other staff within earshot told me he's normally in the store every week and all he wears is confederate paraphernalia. The manager told me there's nothing he can do to help me since the other customer has freedom of speech. I attempted to educate him that freedom of speech was null when it's hate speech. The manager told me he can't make him take off the shirt. I attempted to explain that it's his responsibility to make customers and his employees to feel comfortable. The manager said, he'll try to talk to him. Either you will talk to him or you're not... The fact that customer shops here every week, with that on, means no one has done anything to prevent this from happening.

7/17 - I followed up at the request of the owner/manager - I'm not sure if they were the owner or the manager on duty. In our call the 'he' explained to me that he couldn't control what people wear in the store and the confederate flag meant a different thing in the past. When I asked him what he meant by his statement, he became enraged. He told me if I was uncomfortable shopping there I should not shop here and hung up on me. You're right I will no longer shop here and I want to make sure other people know how...