Public Auction at Meat Boutique
Nov. 11, 2013 By Christian Murray
Despite high Yelp ratings, the Meat Boutique at 43-15 Queens Blvd is closing.
Today at 2pm, there was a large group of people inside the store as an auctioneer was selling off a range of items, such as a walk-in cooler, cutting tables, grinders and other big-ticket items.
The business had been listed for sale on craigslist for some time and the announcement about the auction was on several websites.
The Sunnyside butchery, which opened in April, had offered fresh meats and prepared goods. It also had a large selection of imported Irish groceries.
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My partner loved the bag. The one caveat – the strap is a bit short. Along with the remainder of the bag is superb. Delivery is fast. All advise. Appreciate it seller!
What a disturbing thing to say. You must be a real hit at parties.
The guys were nice and the backyard was lovely, but the prices were higher than BB and I was really unhappily surprised by the hygiene. The same bare, scabby hands handled everything from raw meat to cases to register to cash. I saw that once, couldn’t believe it, went back a second time to confirm — still true. I really wonder if a box of gloves might have kept them in business for at least a few more months.
And I was really hoping for them to succeed. There aren’t enough independently owned and family businesses anymore.
Only ones I can think of are the very few small corner stores left from years ago and the Lynch Funeral Home that’s been around for years and spans a few generations since the grandfather opened it.
Anyone remember Sal’s Pizza that use to be where Associated renovated into? Run by two brothers who were always nice and talking with regulars sitting on the stools outside? Then one of them got really sick and they had to close and it was replaced with another Pizza owner who did nothing but yell and treat costumers like dirt before Associated bought it after they closed and used it to expand their store.
I walked in there once and the place looked barren, like some Soviet era grocery shop. By contrast, you walk into the Butcher Block and the place is brimming with good stuff and the smell is divine.
My response to a poster claiming that the Irish Mafia caused the store to close was deleted and you allow comments about beating meat!
The business was under capitalized. Nice looking storefront but no substance. One refridgerator with a few sodas….small hot food table as if the owner was waiting for business to pick up before making a commitment. Hot food was bland….no taste Owning a business is a skill ….a trade…not just an idea.
The owner was a really nice guy and I wish him well. But, there is no question that if you bring something into the neighborhood that even appears to rival the staple that is the Butcher Block, you are going nowhere. I am sick and tired for going to other neighborhoods for a good meal (outside of the typical pub food). We really need to push the local chamber and others to allow more sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood.
Get your eyebrows threaded must be a form of torture in some parts of the world. Off to get tortured.
Maybe it should become a gay bar. They wouldn’t even have to change the name. If that fails….. HOOTERS!
there was a health food store in that location before the meat boutique…it was called nourish. also short lived.
You couldn’t beat their meat.
I never went in there and don’t eat meat, what the neighborhood really needs is another good non Thai restaurant. I tried Venturo but the food wasn’t so good.
@ Hal, before the Meat Boutique opened, there was another “health food” store in this location. It failed.
I guess with a name like ‘MEAT BOUTIQUE’, many might of thought it was a gay bar. And yes Nina, we all know you love the sausage! Wink,wink,nudge,nudge,say no more, say no more!
Nina loves her sausage
The cows, lambs, pigs, etc., in Sunnyside are rejoicing!!
I’m gonna miss the sausage. Love those sausages.
if all you people DID actually go to this place it would still be there, this place was as vacant as they get
There’s only one Heath food store in Sunnyside and its ALWAYS very busy, even though the place is poorly set up, dirty, and infested with filth flies. If someone opens up a well managed health food store in that location, it’s a guaranteed success.
Wow, I walked past there tonight hoping to buy something, and surprised to see it go. Well not really surprised, knowing how expensive the rent must be on Queens Blvd. They should have taken a spot on side street perhaps. They seemed like good guys, and I like supporting small neighborhood businesses. Does Butcher Block have grass-fed beef? I don’t want to spend money at Whole Foods.
well if you think that ‘meat boutique’ wrote in celtic writing makes a place sound like an irish brothel leads me to be concerned about your state of mind !!!!!!!!
The name with the celtic lettering made it sound like an irish brothel.
I was happy to see it originally, but it was hard to see prices — last time there were no prices listed, and nobody behind the counter, either.
Wow! I just realized I need to get my eyebrows threaded!
can,t unerstand how you guys misunderstood this store to be an irish pub with a name like ‘MEAT BOUTIQUE’ !!!!!! now come on
I knew it’s a butcher and went there regularly – great meat. Extremely sad to see it go.
Seriously, it’s easy to pass by that place and not know it’s a butcher shop. It looks just like an Irish bar.
Banish the phrase “gentleman’s club.” Strip joint is what it is.
Yes, I agree anonymous. an upscale Gentleman’s club called Sunnyside Babes with a pharmacy down the back or a 99c store.
Regardless of why it closed, it was a great addition to the neighborhood. Hopefully it will be replaced by something nice too!
I think a gentleman’s club would do well in that area with all the bars in close proximity.
Anyone who’s moved here strictly for economic opportunity SHOULD re-think their plan- we need people who want to settle in for a longer haul than this. If you are going to invest like this guy did, shutting down after six months is a foolish business plan.
I shopped there twice and was pleased with the burgers I had. It never seemed particularly busy, though; with meat you want to be sure there’s a steady turnover. I wonder if it was a profitable venture? I doubt it.
Geez, Hal- those jokes about eyebrow-threading salons and 99c stores never get old! They’re a treasure trove of laffs. Congratulations on thinking of them.
He committed financial suicide the moment that he signed the lease.
Too bad the owner decided to demolish the place of instead of selling the location as is.
I hope his mother gets better.
As for me, I don’t eat much meat and their prep food was inedible.
Sorry to hear it
Yeah Anonymous, there aren’t enough Irish in the neighborhood to support two grocery stores. That’s why we only have one Iris bar/pub.
Butchers block 2 blocks down……obviously a bad idea to open another one soo close
I’m not surprised the owner is moving back to Ireland. The USA is not the land of economic opportunity it once was. I feel sympathy that his mother is not doing well, but people with any capital are getting out of Dodge asap.
Ben – thanks for letting us know. That’s so sad on so many levels. Let’s hope whatever replaces it lifts up Sunnyside and that we get something here that we don’t already have..and yes, not another salon!
Sad to see another good business go. Queens Boulevard is like a highway. The only businesses that do well are the franchises and pubs. If only it was calmer up there, business might do better.
It had great cuts of meat.
I’m afraid his storefront looked too much like a pub — I regularly passed it by without even glancing in. Also, the proprietor should probably not have opened up a shop so close to the well-established Butcher Block. It’s sad, but not really a surprise.
How about another eyebrow threading place, with a classy 30 dollar led sign, and local vinyl-flooring from the 99 cents store.. KEEP SUNNYSIDE CLASSY!
Try having a vegetarian meal every now and then, it’s not so bad…
What a shame. Fresh food, nice owner. As someone who consults on public relations and social media, I wish I could have helped him early on to get the word out more regularly to showcase his great products. I thought he had one of the nicest storefronts in Sunnyside, too.
Maybe people mistook it for a pub.
THAT FREAKING SUCKS MAN!!! this place was awesome
that sucks, i like that strip of irish looking places. never saw anyone in there. im not a meat eater….
This can’t be happening…I love that place!
too much food in sunnyside
Queens Blvd is cursed or something, I swear.
I loved that place!!!!!!!
WOW that was short lived ……………..