America’s Oldest Cheese Store Set To Close While New York Retail Braces
Tony Danza at Alleva Dairy during the San Gennaro Feast held in Little Italy, New York City. (Photo … [+]
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It may have survived two World Wars, 9/11 and the global financial crisis, while counting Leah Remini, Michael Imperioli, Alice Cooper and Joey Reynolds among its celebrity customers, but the oldest cheese shop in Manhattan is on borrowed time.
In fact considered the oldest in cheese purveyor in America, Alleva Dairy has succumbed to the impact of the pandemic and a $600,000 rent bill.
Alleva Dairy’s potential demise comes at a time when cold winds are blowing through the Manhattan retail markets, as space take-up slows.
As for Alleva Dairy, after financial struggles caused by the Covid crisis, the cheese store has less than a month left at the corner of Mulberry Street and Grand Street in Manhattan’s famous Little Italy district, its only ever location across 130 years.
Current owner Karen King bought Alleva Dairy with her husband Cha Cha and actor Tony Danza (a friend of Cha Cha’s) a decade ago and when her husband died in 2015, King was determined to keep Alleva afloat. But when the pandemic hit, and businesses in the tourist-centric area were crippled by shutdowns, debts began to rack up.
“We’re supposed to be out by March 5,” owner Karen King told NBC New York — meaning that it could be less than 30 days before the end of an era.
Agreement Means Relocation
Business had slowly returning to normal for the neighborhood operator, well known locally for its fresh cheeses and sandwiches, but the shop fell two years behind on rent payments and filed for bankruptcy.
The monthly rent is $23,756, according to court records and a protracted legal battle with the building’s landlord ensued after Alleva went in to Chapter 11 bankruptcy after racking up almost $628,000 in back rent since the start of the pandemic.
In April 2022, King had said she was willing to pay the money but asked for time in order to…
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