Staubitz Market, the venerable Cobble Hill butcher, is on the verge of ‘complete failure’

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

Staubitz Market, the Cobble Hill mainstay that claims to be the “oldest butcher shop” in New York, is on the verge of closing after more than a century in business.

Owner John McFadden Jr. is fundraising $150,000 to save his family’s business, writing on GoFundMe that Staubitz Market is at the “risk of bankruptcy and complete failure.” A number of reasons are contributing to that, including declining revenue, the building’s “decrepit state,” and “business affairs in a mess.”

“We are reaching out to our beloved community, loyal patrons, and anyone who appreciates the value of small local ‘mom and pop’ shops and specialty stores that are becoming extinct,” he writes. “This landmark family business will become another empty storefront without your generous support.”

McFadden Jr.’s father used to own Staubitz Market, and said that the business has been in his family for roughly 60 years. The shop itself originally opened its doors in 1917. McFadden Sr. took over the business in 1967 — 12 years after he began working there at just 19. Sadly, he passed away last year, which McFadden Jr. said left the “state of the business in shambles.”

So far, more than $25,000 has been raised. Well wishers left comments on the GoFundMe page offering the business his support and compliments.