NYC’s oldest butcher shop is teetering on bankruptcy
Staubitz Market, the oldest butcher shop in Brooklyn, is facing financial difficulties that may lead to bankruptcy. The shop has been in operation since 1917 offering premium cuts of meat and knowledgeable butchers who know their customers by name. However, a recent series of events including food price inflation, losing customers to the internet and corporate retailers, and a decrease in demand for meat due to growing vegetarianism, have resulted in decreasing income. The shop is also faced with an emergency decree to repair the building’s façade, which must be completed at a cost of $125,000 or else the owner could be heavily fined and the building condemned.
John McFadden Jr., the current owner, launched a GoFundMe page to raise $150,000 to save the business. The fundraising campaign has generated around $20,000 so far and has brought in more customers for the scaffolding-entombed butcher. Customers who have been shopping at Staubitz for decades expressed their support for the shop and the tradition of personalized service that it represents. The fundraising campaign is seen as a “do or die”-level situation for the business.
FAQs:
What is Staubitz Market?
Staubitz Market is the oldest butcher shop in Brooklyn, operating since 1917. It offers premium cuts of meat and personalized service, where customers are known by name.
Why is it facing financial difficulties?
A combination of factors has led to decreasing income for the shop. This includes food price inflation, losing customers to the internet and corporate retailers, and a decrease in demand for meat due to growing vegetarianism.
What is the emergency decree that Staubitz Market has received?
The city has served Staubitz Market with an emergency decree to repair the historically designated building’s façade. The repair will cost the owner $125,000.
What is the fundraising campaign for?
The owner of Staubitz Market, John McFadden Jr., launched a GoFundMe page to raise $150,000 in order to save the business. The fundraising campaign has generated around $20,000 so far.
Why is Staubitz Market important to its customers?
Staubitz Market represents a tradition of personalized service and high-quality meat. Customers feel connected to the shop and the butchers who have been serving them for decades.
Bankruptcy looms for NYC’s oldest butcher shop.
Staubitz Market, situated in Cobble Hill’s primary retail district surrounded by high-end home-goods stores and boutiques, has been serving premium cuts of meat since 1917. As the oldest butcher store in Brooklyn, it offers a taste of another era when knowing the butcher by name was not unusual. However, this historic local business is under threat due to a series of personal and global issues leading to financial woes. Increased food prices, competition from the internet and corporate retailers, as well as a rise in vegetarianism, have contributed to the current decline. Additionally, the building’s historically designated facade requires an emergency repair costing $125,000, which its owner fears may result in bankruptcy and closure. John McFadden Jr. hopes to raise $150,000 through a GoFundMe campaign launched in January to save Staubitz Market. Loyal customers have pledged their support, with approximately $20,000 raised so far, and leaving positive comments about the store’s outstanding quality and knowledgeable service. Many locals consider Staubitz Market as a “home away from home” and an important part of the community. McFadden Jr. is grateful for the opportunity to continue the family business and is determined to keep serving the neighbourhood with their great product for many more years to come.