130-year-old Little Italy cheese shop Alleva Dairy is closing

Image courtesy of Marcela on Flickr A historic Little Italy cheese shop considered to be the oldest in America will close in March after falling behind on rent due to the pandemic. Alleva Dairy, located at 188 Grand Street, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last September after amassing more than $628,000 in unpaid rent, as first reported by The New York Post. The store had been struggling to pay its $23,000 monthly rent since the summer of 2020, according to court documents. “After a remarkable 130 years, my beloved Alleva Dairy will no longer be on the corner of Mulberry and Grand Street in Little Italy, New York,” owner Karen King told The Post. “I was really hoping that this day would never come and it’s a sad one.” Alleva Dairy first opened its doors to New Yorkers in 1892, serving a wide variety of Italian cheeses, cured meats, and cannoli. The family-run storefront is known for having some of the highest quality ricotta and mozzarella cheeses that can be found in the five boroughs. King came to an agreement with the store’s landlord last week that would erase her debt and other “financial obligations” if she vacates the store on March 5 and pays roughly $31,000, according to court documents. Since the start of the pandemic, New York City has lost more than 4,000 private establishments, according to a report from the city comptroller’s office. Most of the closures have occurred in Manhattan and are attributed to the decline in tourism and foot traffic when the pandemic reached its peak between 2019 and 2021. King told the Post she plans to open another Alleva Dairy location, but did not provide any additional information on where it would be located or when it might open.