Jefferson Market Almost Out of Business

Jefferson Market, the neighborhood institution on Sixth Avenue near 11th Street, may be on its way out after almost eight decades in business. The Times has a preemptive obituary, pinning the imminent cause of death on competition from Whole Foods and Traders Joe's, regrettable management choices, and a new breed of locals. “A lot of these new families, with all this money, they don’t cook,” explains co-owner Louis Montuori, whose 87-year-old uncle Anthony Montuori "still rises at 4:30 a.m. to come to the store from his home in New Jersey and deliver groceries." Now Montuori is desperately seeking a new partner to pump some cash into the place, though he admits it's not really the best timing: “I picked the worst week in history to be looking for an investor.”

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By John Del Signore in Food on September 29, 2008 9:37 AM

Comments [rss]

everyAframe

abzme:PLEASE MOVE TO a more affordable neighborhood where people still cook and we need a local market!

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Um, I bought a place in west village with the idea that I was tired of NOT living near good local markets and ingredients. Kitchen's done in November and I'll be glad to be "still" cooking and not being in restaurants every night.

abzme

I feel bad, but c'mon. That hood doesn't deserve a place like that anymore. PLEASE MOVE TO a more affordable neighborhood where people still cook and we need a local market!

TJ

no Balducci's was a few blocks south, just north of East 9th Street.

Balducci's is now Citarella.

GastroGirls

This is terrible. I wish I has the money to help them. I am sick of these big stores taking away the little man. I try to shop at smaller mom and pop stores but they are becoming extinct. I miss the old Balducci's:( Will this happen to all the wonderful butchers and produce shops in Cobble Hill/Carroll gardens when Trader Joe's opens there?

I find that the majority of gourmet stores are closing downtown. Uptown institutions remain (Zabar's, Grace's, Agata & Valentina). Could make a case for moving uptizzle...maybe.

www.gastrogirls.com

Snoopy

Isn't this where Balducci's use to be?

Sleepy

I was there this weekend and it's basically dead. Barely any items on the shelves. Seems they just stopped buying goods and are trying to sell what remains. Sad to see this place go, but it was definitely poorly managed in recent years. Prices were the same as some of those high end grocery stores but the produce quality remained low and the store was generally dark and dirty.

JenChungsBaby

On top of other apparently bad decisions they've made, it's not a good idea to tell the NY Times about your financial troubles and history of mismanagement when you're looking for someone to take a piece of the business.