Photo: QueensPost
Dec. 16, 2012 By Bill Parry
An Irish butcher is setting up shop on Queens Boulevard.
Patrick McConville, who has lived in Sunnyside for the past 5 years, is moving in where the health food store Nourish (43-15 Queens Blvd.) was located, which closed nearly 3 years ago.
McConville, from Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland, will be ‘conveniently’ nestled between two Irish pubs—the Gaslight and Molly Blooms. The benefits of that location have “crossed my mind,” he said with a wink, “but this won’t be just an Irish shop. The neighborhood’s changed so much that it wouldn’t make sense.”
McConville said that there will be a steam table for hot breakfast, lunches and dinners seven days a week—and a full deli with salads and pies. He said that while there will be a full assortment of Irish groceries, it will primarily be a butcher shop.
“I’ve been in the butchering game since I was 10,” said McConville (who goes by the nickname Pajo). “It was always the family business in Camlough and I don’t know anything else.”
McConville worked for several years at Butcher Block, just two blocks to the west, before leaving last August to start his own business. Butcher Block owner Noel Gaynor said that: “He [McConville] is a good man and we wish him all the best.”
Construction will begin Monday morning, after weeks of demolition work. Opening day is targeted for Feb. 1. The name of the butcher shop remains a secret, McConville said. “We’ll make the name known a week before we open.”
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26 Comments
Has this placed opened up? What’s the name?
BEST OF LUCK AND PROSPERITY IN 2013 !!
GOOD LUCK Patrick … I always knew it would happen you will be a great success . We need another butcher in the neighborhood with quality meats and we all know your the best in NYC .
Good luck !
I hope that this new butcher shop won’t have expired meat on it’s shelves …
… especially after a customer points it out to various members of the staff, including management and returns an opened package just to see that same opened package sitting on the shelf for the next 2 days.
Why must it be “hipsters” who want grass-fed and organic beef? I would love that option and I am not a hipster. Lots of people go to Whole Foods to get that kind of beef and it would be smart for someone to offer it here in Sunnyside.
Good luck Patrick……..may I suggest you consider a “kosher” line-up of products. Ireland has always been a friend to the Jewish people…Mazel Tov!
Best wishes!!! I’ll def be stopping by!
I’m so happy this is not another trash (i.e. 99 cent store) or nail salon. And ditto on the organic/grass fed meats. I feel slightly ill every time I buy some of the supermarket packaged meats.
This is great news!! I second the availability of organic/natural meats!
I’m opening a competing comfort food shop called Gaelic Mash. We’ll always be sold out.
@ruben
Yea she was real easy on the eyes.
Butcher Block 2 : The Reckoning !
seriously though, ain’t nothing wrong with this, Butcher Block was awesome and so was everyone who worked in there, even that cute girl who worked in the mornings, she’s gone now, they need to bring her back immediately.
“Chip off the Old Block”?
I’m delighted to hear about this. For anyone who’s interested Irish cooking is a much more extensive and tempting prospect than the Butcher Block has ever let on.
I love the BB but they play safe with the dinner menus and that means there’s a world of choice ahead that hasn’t remotely been tapped. A bit of local competition will improve both businesses I imagine.
wishing you much success you were a gem @ the Block!
Lot’s of luck, I’m sure it will be great.
This block of Queens Blvd is emerging as Sunyside’s own Restaurant Row: Yum Yum, El Shater, Foxy’s Diner, Molly Bloom, this new Irish Place, and Subway. Something for almost every taste including nouveau cuisine offered at Subway which features grass feed beef dishes served on grain bread.
Good luck Patrick. Looking forward to the opening.
Well there isn’t much grass in sunnyside so foodie has a point lol anyway cool news sounds great
Great idea. Great businesses. Bad location.
Goodluck.
butchers block with more foot traffic?
anyway, good luck, hopefully it will be different from the other so you dont split the busnesses and both can survive.
organic and grass fed, LOL – man those hipsters, gotta love em
Great can we see some organic and grass fed? That would be great!
Great news …
Just what the area needs.
Love Butcher Block and if Patrick comes
from there his shop should be a success ..
Welcome ..
Does the owner have a suicide wish? There’s no shortage of butchers in Sunnyside, Irish or not.
Great! We need another alternative to packaged meats from the supermarkets. Good Luck!
Congratulations and Best Wishes to you, Patrick!