This 130-year-old business’s Manhattan storefront is parma-gone and mozzarel-ocating to the Garden State.
Alleva Dairy’s longtime 188 Grand St. home may be gor-gone-zola, but the over-one-century-old Italian grocer isn’t letting the grate become the enemy of the good. Instead of throwing in the cheesecloth, they’re up and moving to New Jersey.
“After serious consideration, Alleva Dairy at 188 Grand Street will close on Wednesday, March 1 at 6 P.M.,” said owner Karen King, who bought the fromage factory with her late husband John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia — a friend of Tony Danza and descendent of Alleva’s founding family — in 2014. “I am so thankful for the support I have received from my devoted customers, neighbors, the news media and strangers from across the country.”
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Nothing gouda can stay in New York, it seems, as Alleva — which opened in 1892 and is billed as the nation’s oldest cheese store — is now banking on doing feta beyond the boroughs.
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“Thanks to the vision, generosity and commitment of businessman and developer, Jack Morris, President and CEO, of Edgewood Properties, Alleva Dairy will be opening a 3,700-square-foot store at 9 Polito Ave. in Lyndhurst, NJ,” King continued, adding that “One thing is certain, Alleva Dairy will continue and will be bigger and better than before.”
For those who miss the iconic green and red signage, don’t brie sad! They’ll rise again at the Jersey location. The rest of the of the fixtures, counters and machinery have also been “carefully loaded up and taken to storage,” according to a press release.
The closure follows a court battle over the more than $500,000 worth of back rent the cured meat, rice ball and sub-slinging landmark’s landlord alleged it failed to pay during the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Little Italy shop was leased to pay $23,756 a month in rent.)
Landlord Jerome G. Stabile III Realty sued the soppressata-slinger in Manhattan Supreme Court in April, asking for “permission to evict you from the subject premise if you do not pay the money judgment.” Subsequent negotiations, including a proposal to immediately put up $250,000 and pay off the lease’s duration, were unsuccessful — and in September, Alleva filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Despite the veal-y bad situation, the ricotta outpost stayed open till the bitter end. The final customers at its New York address were a family from Montreal. They bought cannoli.