Iconic Buttercup’s Dairy In Terryville Celebrates 50 Years

TERRYVILLE, NY — The Smith family, owners of the iconic Buttercup’s Dairy Store in Terryville, well-known for its hard-to-miss red barn, fresh local food, and “Speedy the Cow” recently celebrated their 50th anniversary in business.

The multigenerational business was originally a working dairy farm that delivered milk fresh to customers’ doorsteps — thus the classic red and white barn design — when the family, who emigrated from Germany, purchased the property in the 1930s. A small drive-thru store was first started in 1971, and then in 1975, the cow barn was converted into the current store.

Four generations later, the business, which is located at the intersection of Old Town Road and Boyle Road, has over 40 employees looking after an inventory that now includes a wide selection of products that are not restricted to dairy products alone. Buttercup’s also carries baked goods, including a large selection of pies, produce, cold cuts and fresh-made salads, and sandwiches, as well as heat and eat dinner packages.

“We have a lot of quick to-go meals,” said Richard Smith, who now runs the store with his son, Kyle.

Over the years, the store has become the go-to place for locals looking for fresh food. People can be seen lined up at the store on Saturdays, and big sports game days just to stock up on their favorite dishes, no matter the weather outside.

But how did Buttercup’s get so popular?

“We are in the middle of a neighborhood and it got around that we had good quality food and real reasonable prices,” Smith said.

The store’s heat and eat meals, which include a selection of flavored chicken breasts, chicken parmesan, meatball dinners, and pasta dishes, became so popular with customers that long lines of people were forming, and it hampered the service, so Smith said the family began pre-stocking them for quick pickup.

“We just had to move it along,” added Smith.

Sometime after, one of the youngsters in the family devised the character of “Speedy the Cow.”

“Speedy” started as a cartoon character drawn by one of Smith’s children about 15 years ago, and the bovine certainly caught on, resonating with locals who frequented the store.

One customer even went as far as to film a commercial featuring the overalls-wearing “Speedy” serving customers behind the deli counter. The commercial, which was filmed in 2011, now has nearly 4,000 views on YouTube.

And, Buttercup’s is not only popular with locals living along the north shore, as some visitors make the journey from outside of the area.

“There’s different stories,” said Smith. “Some people moved out of the area. Other people said they heard about the pies.”

Councilman Jonathan Kornreich, whose district includes Terryville, recently visited the dairy to wish the Smith family well and described it as a “mainstay” in the hamlet for half a century that is still going strong.

“I am grateful to the Smith family for their continuous support of our local community-based organizations, thoughtful land management, delicious cookies, and for being such a vital part of the fabric of Brookhaven Town,” he said.