The Internet has been deeply divided over an extremely expensive grocery store in the Hamptons, which has become embroiled in a feud with Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel.
In July 2022, Bethenny, now 53, posted a TikTok video praising a local grocery store called Round Swamp Farm.
Although she called it the “most expensive” store she’d ever been to, she said many of the items were “worth every penny,” specifically the “amazing” chicken salad and gazpacho.
The former reality star went on to upload several other clips professing her love for the business, all of which racked up millions of views.
The store, which has three locations in the celebrity-adored Hamptons, was already becoming a favorite among locals, and Bethenny’s gushing posts certainly helped turn it into a viral online sensation.
The Internet has been left deeply divided over an extremely expensive grocery store in the Hamptons, which has become embroiled in a feud with Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel.
In July 2022, Bethenny, now 53, posted a TikTok video praising a local grocery store called Round Swamp Farm.
Soon, hundreds of videos showing other people checking out the freshly made products and discussing their immense costs flooded TikTok, with some agreeing with Bethenny that the high prices were justified and others criticizing the store for charging so much.
But last month, the TV personality was outraged when she visited Round Swamp Farm and claimed she was “treated very badly” by employees.
She said the interaction left her nearly in tears, especially after claiming that her viral reviews helped the store sell “thousands of products.”
Albert and Barbara Lester founded Round Swamp Farm in 1966, starting as a “little red stand” where they sold crops they had grown on their farm.
When Albert passed away in 1968, his daughter Carolyn Lester Snyder took over and eventually expanded the business from a small stand to a storefront, which opened in 1974.
Today, it is a multi-million dollar business with three different stores in Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Montauk that sells freshly baked cakes, cookies, loaves of bread, homemade sauces, soups and fresh produce, among other things.
But the items are priced high. Lobster salad is $56 a pound, while tuna salad is $35 a pound; a two-quart carton of strawberries is $30 and a bag of cookies is $12.
And people on the web are divided over the high costs.
Although she called it the “most expensive” store she’d ever been to, she said many of the items were “worth every penny,” specifically the “amazing” chicken salad and gazpacho.
The former reality star went on to upload several other clips professing her love for the business, all of which racked up millions of views.
The shop, which has three locations in the Hamptons, was already becoming a favorite among locals, and Bethenny’s gushing posts helped turn it into a viral online sensation.
“I bought a lot of things here and they were all delicious. It’s an expensive place, which is on par with the area,” says one review on Yelp read.
“The prices are outrageous,” wrote another person. “I spent $22 for a bag of granola. Very mediocre granola, at that.”
“A fabulous place to pick up a variety of prepared items: baked goods, sides, salads, entrees, cheese, and some items you can cook at home (meat and produce),” raved another Yelp reviewer.
‘Their baked goods are DIVINE. Cakes. Cinnamon rolls. Brownies. Mini chocolate muffins. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.’
“Listen, the food here is good, but the prices are insane,” another person criticized. “I came here because of TikTok (specifically, Bethenny Frankel) and bought the staples: chicken salad, gazpacho, and chocolate chip cookies with sea salt and caramel. Those three items totaled $51.”
Bethenny first posted about Round Swamp Farm in July 2022 and couldn’t stop raving about the products.
“I’ve never seen a more expensive produce stand, but many of the products are worth it,” she insisted in a video shared on her TikTok account.
‘They have the best guacamole and an amazing chicken salad. It’s shredded, not store-bought, which is important to me.
Soon, hundreds of videos showing other people reviewing the freshly made products and discussing their immense costs invaded TikTok.
Albert and Barbara Lester founded Round Swamp Farm in 1966, starting as a “little red stand” where they sold crops they had grown on their farm.
When Albert (seen right with his family in 1964) passed away in 1968, his daughter Carolyn Lester Snyder took over and expanded the business from a small stand to a storefront, which opened in 1974.
It is now a multi-million dollar business with three different stores in Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Montauk selling fresh produce, homemade baked goods, sauces and more.
“The gazpacho will blow your mind. It’s $18 and worth every damn penny. I drink it through a straw.”
“I buy it at the end of the season and keep it in the freezer all year round. There’s something about their gazpacho that’s addictive.”
Their lobster salad (view) costs $56 a pound.
In another video posted in July 2023, Bethenny gave her followers a glimpse of her $320 haul from Round Swamp Farm.
For that price she only got 24 items, which included a box of blueberries, two peaches, fresh watermelon, hummus with basil pesto, three chicken breasts, a berry tart, and of course, some of her favorite gazpacho.
In July 2024, Bethenny posted another video about it and joked that “everyone hated her” in the Hamptons because she had made Round Swamp Farm so famous online.
She said her videos had caused crowds of people to rush to the store, leading to crowds and long lines that angered locals.
But in early August, she revealed she was no longer a fan of the supermarket after saying she had a “terrible” experience there.
People on the Internet are divided about the high costs. Some of the Yelp reviews are seen above.
She documented her first trip to the store since her videos about it went viral and joked that she expected “VIP treatment” after it made them “internationally famous.”
But when she entered the store, she was deeply disappointed to receive no recognition from the employees.
And then he told the camera that he wanted to ‘cancel’ the store.
“I’m in shock. I thought at least someone would come in and say hello. I can’t believe it,” fumed one mother of one boy. “I can’t take it anymore. I’m looking for a new chicken salad.”
In a follow-up post, Bethenny explained that she was hoping for a “thank you” from staff members for the amount of business her videos had generated.
“I went yesterday and I was so excited because I thought I was going to walk in and they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes, thank you.’ Just something,” she shared.
But last month, Bethenny (seen in store) was outraged when she visited Round Swamp Farm, claiming she was “treated very poorly” by employees.
She said the interaction left her nearly in tears, especially after claiming that her viral reviews helped the store sell “thousands of products.”
‘I was there and about 20 customers stopped me and said: “I’ll buy the gazpacho for you.”
“It was quite a deal, wasn’t it? But no one in the store said anything to me. Not one person.”
She claimed the employees seemed ‘upset’ by her presence, which left her wanting to ‘cry’.
“It was very shocking because I’ve easily sold thousands of dollars worth of products for them. Easily,” she continued.
“It really put me off. I felt bad for a couple of hours afterwards, I really felt bad.
“It left a horrible taste in my mouth. It wasn’t good at all. That’s what gives the Hamptons a bad name. It upset me, it made me want to cry. It hurt my feelings.”
The store is also adored by Ina Garten, who featured it in a 2021 blog post as one of her favorite spots in the Hamptons.